New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-03

NO BEAR COULD SEE HIS SHADOW
YESTERDAY AND THE SMALL
BOY REJOICED.
ACCORDING TO POPULAR SUPERSTITION THE
sNowsTORM PEOCLAIMS THAT WINTER
HAS GIVEN ITS FAREWELL VISIT.


The snow and wind CT yesterday were greeted
with 10Y by the small boy who thoroughly believes
IN all tho legends attached 10 Candemas Day for
forty days after Christmas comes Candlemas'
when, according TO popular superstition, the wolf
the badger and the bear become names to con)ure
with IN prognosucating the future Vagarles 10 DC
exercised by the clerk Of the weather. In Germany
two proverbial expressions convey the common
idea: THE shepherd would rather see the wolf
enter his stable on Candlemas Day than the SUM-
and The badger peeps out OF hts hole on Candle
mas Day. and when he finds snow ne walks
abroad but If he sees the sun shining he draws
back into his hole
In this country the sage small boy on his way to
school oracularIy remarks: "Well. IN bear kin see
his shadow to-day when he comes outn his mole
an looks around, and that means long winter
yet Pa says So"
Nor is this belief that good weather on Candle
mas Day Is the Indicator of a continuance Of Win
ter and bad crops follow, or that stormy day Is
O harbinger of early spring. matter OF LOCALITY.
The same idea is expressed in a Latin d,stich given
by Sir Thomas Brown in his Vulgar Errors:
si Sol spendescat Maria purifcante
Major exit gacies pas, fstum guam fui, ante
while the Scotch embody their conclusions in tho
following rhyme:
L Canalemas pay be e, dry so and a fs,F mar,
The half o winters gone at Yuie
CANDLEMAs CELEBRATION.
While the first celebration OF CdnOIcHdS ny inc
Christian church is believed to Gate back to the
reign of Justinian, in 90 its origin can be traced
sin further even TO the old Lupercalian rites.
when during this month. the Romans burned can
dies 70 the Goddess Februa, the mother Of Mars,
and walked in procession with flaming torches IN
commentator OF Ceres searching LOT her stoIeh
daughter, PrOserpne.
The Outstanding Of this pagan ceremony
showed acuteness on the part of the Christian
church which. finding Il difficult matter to eradi-
cate old ties and associations, decided 70 continue
them by comforting upon them a holier signih-
canoe. In this way the procession In honor or
Ceres became the first festival set apart in honor
Of the Virgin Mother. as referred 10 by ST. Cyril
Of Alexandria, including in IT'S significance the
words of Simeon in relation to Christ that lie was
"a light TO tighten the Gentiles."
The name Candemas is said to be derived from
the blessing Of the candles by the clergy Of the
Church Of Rome and their distribution among the
CONGREGATION who afterward carry them in process
SION
In England during Catholic times special mean
ing was attached the size Of the candles and the
manner IN which they burned during the process
sion while what were left were esteemed as pos
sessing strong supernatural virtues. At the Refor-
nation the Candlemas ceremonials were stu re-
tanned an old document Of the time Of Henry VIII
can nreserved in the archives of the Society OF An
ti1uit,es London containing this proclamation:
"On Candler.ass Daye il shall be declared that the
bearving OF candles IS done in the memorie OF
Christie. the sprituale lyghte whom Simeon dyd
prophecy as Il is redde in the churche that daye
Even in the time Of Charles II. when lights were
brought in at dusk people would say: God send
Us the light Of Heaven
Robert Herrck. In lCi. quantity aliudes 10 the
custom Of removing the Christmas decorations at
Condemns:
Tna, so the supersti,ious md
10 least hranche there ie,t behind
For !o.Ki now now " aMsi d is"' ,Insf 10 ipe)
- many COLLINS you shall see.
He also audes to the wisdom OF reserving
portion Of the candles as a protection against
Sends and goDAns;
K!adie the Christmas brand. and then
TIL sunset le, J, t oar i,.,, ~ again
iii Christmas returns
Par. mus, be kept. wherewith tend
The Christmas log next year year: o.ro
can NJ mischief there.
Scotland Is especially rich in curious customs
relative 20 CanGlcmas. which is also one OF the
four term days appointed for periodical annual
payments Of money, interest and taxes
CntN lately 1t joyful thing 20 be school"
master on this day. for each child expected TO
lay before the learned a gift OF money pro
portOned 70 the length OF the family purse Inc
styled king or queen and borne TO their honoTed
iow-sTudenJs' This primitive carriage received
ircm this Circumstance the name Kings CHAR
Another popular custom IL this Land OF ING
Leal q football natch-brncdcts pitted against
bachelors. east-end townsmen against me west
e"l, or one parish against another. TN: was
called Condemns Ia % ana was the occasion OF
as much rivalry the Blues and the Greens, oi
voc we hed Roses and the White. "Qn one occasion
ie;a'eA an ancient chronicer Of sporting news,
me eontesinG parties. after TWO hours strugs
ele IN lhe street DclOOk themselves 10 the bed OF
he river Jed, and there fought in the MIN and
crowded the bridge"
,,H as every iesial day has some special dish CON
,.a,teu appropriate 10 It's celebration. Candlemas
a'yUiSes n the bean. Why or how this happens Is
moo,ed question; for, although doubtless nav
i1s1y ehalted among the ancents, Pylhagoras
c,s rIr, dDsnhtrnce and The Egyptian priests de-
non,a.o ven th'lT sight TO be uHccan they were,
ana utilized IN the ballot memorial fcasts
oniia ne rites OF Hxorcisin, from which one II
esris a. ail9ery 20 draw his deductions. with
lnmiIuehCes ABROAD from the under world AT
msch,,isas. me bean may aid In crcumventing the
i'a'ions OF those "gobelins" who
VIII git you,
~ you don't watch