The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-02-02
CANDLEMAs DAY.
Origin and Significance of the Time When
the woodchuck Takes His Winter OBJ
servatiOn.

Origin and Significance of the Time When
the Woodchuck Takes His Winter OBJ
servation.
The I'd of February is a day of import
ance in the Roman and Anglican church
es, being one of high festival-the COM
memoration of the publication of the
Virgin Mary. The popular name of the
day is Candlemas, taken from the cere-
mony which the Church of Rome causes
to be observed throughout the Christian
world-the blessing of the candles by the
clergy and their distribution among the
people, by whom they are subsequently
carried, lighted. in solemn procession.
The origin of the day is thus given:
''Sometymes, when the Romaynes, by
great might and royal power, conquered
all the world, they were SO proud that
they forgot God and made for them divers
gods after their own lust. And so among
all they had a god they called Mars. that
had been before a notable knight in bat
tayle; and so they prayed to hymn for
helpe, and for that they would speed the
better of this knight, the people prayed
and did great worship to hys mother,
that was called Februa, after which wo-
man much people have opinion that the
moneth of February is called. Wherefore
the second day of the moneth is called
Candlemass day The Romaynes this
night went about the city of Rome with
torches and candles burning in worship
of this woman Februa, for hope to have
more helpe and successe of her some
Mars.
ssThen there was Pope that was called
Sergius. and when he saw Christian peo-
pie drawn to this false maumetry and I'M
true belief, he thought to undo this false
use and custom and turn it into Gods
worship and our Lady's, and give COM
mandment that all Christian people
should come to church and offer up can
die burning to the worship that they did
to this woman Februa, and do worship to
our Lady and to her son the Lord Jesus
Christ. So that now this feast is solemn
" hallowed through Christendom."
At Rome the Pope officiates in person
on this day in the chapel of the Quirinal
and when he has blessed the candles he
distributes them among those in the
church, first to the. cardinals, then to the
archbishops and bishops, and SO on down
| to the humDlest officers and servitors of
the church. and when the last of these
has gotten his candle the worshippers at
large receive theirs. This portion of the
ceremony being concluded, the Pope is
mounted in his chair, and carried in pro-
cession around the ante-chapel, while
| hymns are chanted and sung. Then the
throne is stripped OF its gorgeous trap
pings, the Pope and cardinals take off
| their gold and crimson dresses, put on
their usual robes, and the mass incident
to the morning is sung.
While the festival is designed to COM
memorate the publication OF the Virgin,
| it is understood that the candle bearing
refers to what Simeon said when he took
| the infant Jesus in his arms and declared
that he was light to tighten the Gen
I tiles.
At the time of the reformation in Eng
land, all the ceremonies attendant upon
/ Candiemas day were notreduced at once,
and Henry Will proclaimed in 1889:
ION Candlemas day it shall be declared
that the bearing of candles is done in
memory of Christ, the spiritual light,
/ whom Simeon did prophesy, as it is said,
] in the church that day"
In England, in the Catholic days, a
certain meaning was attached to the size
| of the candles, and the way in which
they burned during the procession; and
the reserved parts of the candles were,
| in the superstitions of the times, looked
upon as possessing strong supernatural
virtues. Thus
wondrous force nd might
Doth in those candles lie, which If
| At a v time they light
They sure believe that neither storm
| Nor tempest doth abide.
Nor thunder in the skies be heard,
| Nor any devils spide.
Nor fearful spirits that walk by night,
Nor bursts of froSts or hail.
Robert Herrick, the sweetest of lyric
poets, in his s'Hesperides' thus sings of
some of the ceremonies to be observed
on Candlemas day:
Kindle the Christmas brand, and then
| Till sunset let it burn
1 Which quenched, then lay it up again
1 Till Christmas next return.
Part must be kept. wherewith to lend
| The Christmas log next year:
And where tits safely kept the fiend
Can do no mischief there.
The day was supposed to have an effect
on the weather which succeeded it, and
an ancient quatrain hath it:
If Candlemas day be dry and fair,
| The half o. winters to come and MAR;
If Candlemas day be wet and foule.
The half o. winters gone at Yule.
The Germans have two proverbial ex-
pressions in reference to the day: 1.-The
Shepherd would rather see the wolf en-
ter his stable on Candlemas day than the
sum- and ssthe badger peeps out OF his
hole on Candlemas day. and when he
finds snow, walks abroad, but if he sees
the sun shining he draws back into his
hole
Who knows what may be in this? Let
the weather wise cut it out, and keep it
for comparison with the representations
of the weather bureau in regard to the
remaining half of the winter.
| gSlA N 615 Congress ST.
| eIBN1EC7aJ PORTLAND, me.