Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-01-31

HIS sClCltilt Di,l VI ttttlltl
anteda,ing the efforts of our friend Old
Probabilities by nobody knows how
many hundred years, is perhaps all that
the the majority of readers are like
" TO recall readily in connection with
Candlemas Day-the ID of February.
Next Thursday will be Candlemas
Day. known to the average citizen of
this land of multitudnous woodchucks
as Ground Hog Day. The ground
hog. says the New York Tribune, is an
expert on the signs Of Candlemas. Dur
ing the winter he doesn't take much in
terest in things, preterring to keep
warm in his hole, bat on February ID
he bcsiirs himself and comes out to
look for bis shadow If he were an In
dian chief he would be called Man
Afraid Of His Shadow" The wood
chucl: feels that way, and before he
starts oil for n walk he looks about.
If the shadow appears there is 10 more
fun for hn. He goes home again
thoroughly convinced that he is going
to have bad winter, and so disgusted
that he will not again come forth in
many weeks. If lie does not find his
unpleasant acquaintance he is satisfied
chat there is to be an early spring and
goes oil TO select a summer home.
The country people of old time
watched the grounding and believed in
him. With him they concluded that
Sunshine was not a good thing on Can
dlemas, and they embodied their belief
in such verses a this:
The hind had as lief see
His wife on the bier
As that Candlcmas Day
Should be pleasant and clear.
"The Country Almanac" in 1876 came
out with this version Of the story:
Foul weather is no news hail. rain and snow
Are now expected. and cSteem'd 10 woe;
Nav. It's an omen bad, the yocmcn say,
If Phmbus shows his face the second day.
Though they expected foul weather,
still the yoemer thought that by that
time the worst Of the winter was past,
and they had the proverb:
When Caudlemas Day is come and gone,
Tie snow lies on 4 hot stone.
Candlemas L probably the Februalia
of the Romans, the annual time ofpuri-
tication and atonement, turned to sacred
use By the early Fathers TO commemo-
rate the purification under the Mosaic
law. In the Church calendar the day
is the Purifcation Of the Blessed Virgin
Mary.
Candlemas was day of great i'm
portance to the Church Of the Middle
Ages and was the favorite time for the
bleSSjnr of the candles for use during
the year.
On Candlcmas all Christmas greens
must be taken down. Herrick gives
explicit directions in one of his songs
for the disposition Of festal greens the
whole year through, and this is what
he says on this point:
Down with Rosemary and so
Down with the Baisc and Mistletoc,
Down with Holly. lvie, all
Wherewith ye drcst the Christmas Hall;
That so the superstitious find
Not one least branch there left behind,
For look how many leaves there be
Neglected there Maids to trust to me-
So many COLLINS you shall see,
One of the old customs observed in
the use of candles was of saying when
the light was brought in: God send
us the light of Heaven.
The grounding was not the only
way to foretell the future on Candle
mas. A sheaf of oats may be dressed
up in women's clothes and put, with
club. in a basket which is called
''Briid's Bed" When night comes put
ii aside and call three times through the
house "Briid is come, Briid is wei
come" Then go TO he'd, and in the
morning look for the impression of
Briid's club in the ashes on the hearth.
Ifyou find it you may have hopes of
good crops and a prosperous year.