The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-02-09
CanaIemasDav.

CaHdIsmas Nay.
Mr.. EDITORIALS to-day is Candle
mas Day, thought it might interest
some of your readers to know some
thing of its origin and the supersti-
lions connected with it. From very
early, indeed unknown, date in the
Christian history, February I'd has
been held as the festival of the ''Puri-
tication Of the Virgin and il is still
holiday of the Church OF England.
From the coincidence of the time
with that of Febmation, or puri-
ficatiop of the people in pagan Rome,
some consider this as a Christian
festival engrafted upon a heather one,
in order 20 take advantage of the es-
tablished habits of the people, but this
idea IS open to good deal of doubt.
The popular name Condolences is de-
rived from the ceremony which the
church of Rome dictates TO be observed
on that day, namely blessing of can
dies by the clergy and distribution Of
them among the people by whom they
are afterwards carried lighted in sol
emn procession. The more important
Observances were given up in England
lighting churches with candles on this
| day was kept up until near the
close of the eighteenth century.
at Rome the pope every year OH
ciates at this festival in the beautiful
chapel of the QuiIinal. When he has
blessed the candles he distributes them
with his own hands among those in the
church, each going singly up to him,
kneels to receive 1t, the cardinal first,
etc, down to the lowest officer in the
church. This ceremony over, the
candles are lighted, the pope is
mounted in his chair and carried In
procession with hymns chanting
around the anti-chapel. In England
during the Catholic times a meaning
was also attached to the size of the
candles and the manner in which they
burned during the procession. If they
were large and burned with clear,
bright light the owner was to be very
prosperous and was to fear neither
'tstOrm nor tempest, fearful sprites
that walk by night, nor hurts from
frost or hail.
The festival, at whatever date it took
its rise, has been chiefly to commemo-
rate the publication of the Virgin
Mary, and the candle-bearing as re-
ferring to the words of Simon when
holding the infant Jesus declaring
him to be eight to tighten the Cen
tiles" Another superstition was that
all the Christmas decorations must be
removed from the dwellings before
Candlemas eve, for as many
caves as were left, so many
| In Scotland very curious custom was
observed in connection with this day
namely, the universal practice of the
children attending the school to make
small presents of money to their teach
ers. II imagine the teachers in our
| schools would not object seriously to
the practice being observed in our day.
Each child passes before his teacher
and lays down his Offering in proper
ton to the wealth of his parents. The
boy and girl who give most are reSpec-
lively called king and queen The
children are then dismissed for the day,
carrying the king and queen in process
sion upon . seat formed of crossed
hands. The latter part of the day was
devoted to what is called the Candle
mas bleeZe or blaze, the burning of any
piece of furZe; or if that was wanting,
making an artificial bonfire.
Considering the Importance attached
to Candlemas day for many ages it is
not surprising that there is universa al
superstition throughout Christendom
that good weather on that day indicates
| long continuance of winter and a baG
crop, and that it's being foul, foggy OF
! dlsagreeaDle IS good omen. An old
Latin distisch expressive of this idea
has been well translated into popular
Scottish rhyme:
"If Candlemas day be dry and fair,
The half of winters to come and mair;
| If Candemas day be wet and foul,
| The half o winters game at yule.
Even Germany has her proverbs con
corning the day, viz: 1.-The shepherd
would rather see the wolf enter his sta
BILE on CandlemaS daV than the sum- >
Candlemas day, and when he finds
snow he walks abroad; but if he sees
the sun shining he draws back into
winter quarters" And so on down
through the ages the superstition
creeps until it strikes Kansas and the
Kansans underline euphOniOus name Of
grounding day. ANTIQUARY.
Emporia. Kans., Feb. 2, 1888.