The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-02-26
cANDLEMAs DAY.
It- origin, its Myths aud it, observ

church the DAYS OF the WonIh were uth-
ignated. not as the tenth or twelfth, but
from the nearest saint In the calendar.
IN the "Patfon Letters" that milne -
antiquarian lights which 50 viyldly rep.
resen,s The household Of life Of The Pm.
tecnth Century, there g. scarcely let.
ter which g. not ihus dated. a. on "ihc
Thursday next before St. Agatha" the
Monday after St. Mlehaers," the
Wednesdav after ST.. "aule's"a curious
minellng Of honorto Wooden and Thor
with the sacred feasts ot a more endur.
inr faith.
The festival Of Caudlcmas, the synch-
rouous celebration Of the presentation
and Of the publication, was probably In.
sti,utsd a. such by the Bishop Gelaslus
m the reign Of Jusilniau. but It Il with.
out doubt a more ancient Observance
and one Of the lcgaclcs Of dying cult.
"Great Pan Is dead.' but his worship
fingers In many an unconscious service.
Candlemas. occurring a. Il does on the
I'd Of February, may well be the sur.
vival Of the Roman Lupercalla, the
Februa, or rites OF lIstration performed
on the 18th Of that month Tor eentirles
before the Babe lay In the manager Of
Bethlehem.
The use OF candles, although eonsld'
cred typical Of the prophetic words Of
Simeon, "a Light to tighten the Gen.
tiles" Il probably the relic Of that Tea.
ture OF the Llperealla, when during days
Of riotous license under the cloak ~
pIous ceremonies. the people ran hither
and thither carrying candles 10 repre-
sent the torch with which Demeter
sought her lost Peuephonc through the
plains OF Emma. ncautliui myth-sym.
bollzlng 10 much truth. spiritual and
physleai-iair Peuephonc, rcincafnaie
In the daHodIls which sprung mp ON The
banks Of Cynnei The transition from
the Lupercalla 10 Caudlcmas was but
ore Of The many compromise 10y which
pagan customs were baptized with
Christian names.
In England. the distribute 10 the day
Il given by the opening snowdrops-
"Candlcmns Bells" "Falr Mods Of Feb.
ruary," one Of the many flowers dedl.
Gated to Mary, and formerly called the
Publication Flower Henry VIII, by
special proclamation In 1880, permitted
the use OF candles and the further oh.
servanee Of the day. for neither Henry
nor his daughter In their nominal Prot.
es,anism renouneed the pageantry Of
Rome. In every English parish. the
Christmas green's were removed from
church and home on Candlcmas Eve,
custom pro,tily told by ilerrieki
Down with tho rosemary. aud W
Down with the hassnnd mis,letosj
Down 9th the hollis. IVY aud hll
whorewiih yodrcsed tho Christmas Hall
That 90 the supcrstitious iud
Not one least branch there loft hchlnd.
For look how many leaves there Do
Neglected. there tmnids trust 10 mel
So many rohlius YOU shall zoe.
In the morning, the Yulc log, which
had burned until Twelfth Night or Old
Christmas, was rclightcdi
Klndle the Chrlsimaa brand and then
TIL sunset let Il hurn,
when auenchcd then lay II mp araiu
TIN Christmas next return.
Part must he kept vhsrwiih 10 tccnd,
Two Chrls'mia Zoe next year,
And where H. safely kept, tho fcnd
Can do no mischief there.
In Scotland. where the time Il Of some
official Importance as the chief quarter
day, great fires called the "Candlemass
bleeze"-gllmmerlngs from the ashes OF
the long extinct worship of Baal--were
lighted on the hllltops, and woe betIde
that nelghborhood where Tor any reason
the FIRE did not burn the llvelong night.
Candlemas Is one Of the few festivals
Of the church Of which purltanlsm has
left no tradition In popular parlanee.
This may be because Il Is a noteworthy
conservation day" and In every north.
ern land there cluster about II proved
predictions Of the duration Of winter,
II a the one day Of The year when the
sun Il welcome. a German provorb
declares the shepherd would rather see
the wolf 70 his told than the sun ON
Candlcmas Day The stlry Of the bear
who rouses himself from his long ,lum.
Der. and comes out Of hole, returning ia
sleep sls weeks longer ~ he sees the
shadow, is told Of the woodchuck OF
groundhogl and IN many countries Of
the badger and other alternating anil
mails
A Scotch saw runs thusi
N Condemns be- dry aud ttlr,
The half ~ wiutor 10 como and mnlr.
NJ CandlrmAs ho wet md foul
The half OF winters game M Yulr.
H. Substance % embodied On our own
saying -"lIali your wood and half your
hay ON Cauilemass DAY." a praetlca
measure of the winter stores The gen
eral meteorological truths cry stabilized e.
these proverbs many otthem hoary VIII
the time OF ages, are obvious 10 one VIII,
studies the "skiey lnneuuces," and the,
may thu, tend 40 preserve something o
our vanishing drc,dde lore. n, as ha
been well said, popular CUSTOM rontaIr
the germs of history n % equally lu.
that me aurreut beliefs and even th0