The Savannah morning news., 1904-02-02
HOW CANDLEMAS DAY
WILL BE OBSERVED
Weather To-day Believed to
Prophesy Weather to Come.

WCatner To-day beneKe0 10
PrOphesy Weather to Come.
This is Candlemas Day, a day of
Importance in the Roman Catholic
Church, and one whose history, both
religious and profane, is surrounded
with a host of legends.
1t is on this day, according to the
beliefs of those wise in weather lore,
that the gods prognosticate the
weather that is to come, and the lit
tie animals which make their homes
below the ground during the dreary
winter, come forth to look about. And
as they find the weather on Candlemas
Day so do they know what is to fol-
low, and from them the people learn
weather or no the winter is at an end.
The weather legends which surround
the day are as varied as the nations
in all Chrstendom, but all point to
common end. The clouds themselves
on this day come to the aid of the
weather man and forecast that which
is to come for six long weeks. The
bear, the badger, the woodchuck and
the grounding, all well versed in the
signs of spring and winter, come FORTH
and as they act so the weather goes.
These animals have been officially fore
casting for so long a time that the
memory of man runneth not to the con-
trary. The following are a few of
the weather signs which, read on this
day, tell of the coming weather:
CandIemas Day Legends.
"Candlemas Day. Candlemas Day!
Half our fire and half our hay
IF Candlemas Day be fine and clear
Corn and fruits will then be dear"
"The shepherd would rather see
wolf enter his fold on Candlemas Day
than the SUM-"
'If CandIemas Day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another fight;
But If Candlemas Day bring clouds
and rain,
Winter is gone and won't come again"
"On Candlemas Day" says the hunt
er, the bear, the badger or the wood
chuck comes out to see his shadow at
noon. If he does see 1t, he goes back
to his hole for another six weeks, and
cold weather continues for that much
doth he know that the winter is ended
and he skippeth merrily about and is
glad"
IF the ground hog is summing HIM
self on Feb. he will return to his
winter quarters for four weeks long
err
Thus say the sages versed in the lore
Of the woods and the animals, and
they all assert that their signs never
FaiI CO Ia 10 g,..r -.
we may we'll expect an early spring,
but If the sun shines bright, then win
ter has not relaxed his grip upon the
land.
Ancient Religious Festival.
Candlemas Day is an ecclesiastical
festival observed in honor of the puri-
fication of the Virgin Mary when she
presented the infant Jesus in the tenn
pie. But even before this date sim
liar festival was held under the aus
pieces of the priests of pagan Rome,
known as the feast of expation and
publication. This festival was held
on Feb. Is and many have claimed
that the Christian festival is simply
turning to account the heather rite.
At any rate, the festival seems to
have been instituted by the Emperor
Justinian in 541 or 542. A principal
part of the early celebration was a
long procession with lighted candles,
and in many places this part of the
ceremony Is still observed. 1t is on
this day that the candles to be used
throughout the coming year are conse-
Grated and 1t Is from this that the day
takes it's name, Candlemas Day.
The candle-bearing, as old at least
as 665, was early explained as a ref
erence to the words of Simeon, when
he took the infant Jesus in his arms
and prophesied that He should be "a
light to tighten the Gentlles." The
two ideas became associated in the
popular mind and several church rites
have been derived from IL.
The practice of lighting the churches
in England was prohibited by an edict
of council in 154s, but the practice still
continues in the Roman Catholic
Church. In Savannah masses will be
said at all the Catholic churches and
the candles blessed for the coming
year. The usual week day masses
will be observed at the Cathedral and
st. Patrick's Church, and the candles
blessed before mass. At the church
of the Sacred Heart mass will be SOL
emnized at o'clock in the morning.
To Receive New Bids.
Referee MacDonell will open the bids
far the stock Of the bankrupt Branch
- Cd NTaa ~