The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-02-01

row ls CandlemaS DAY or Ground Hog
day, as it is more generally known.
1t is the day that is supposed to mark
the turning point between winter and
spring but whether spring comes or
winter stays longer depends on sun
shine and shadow and the little
grounding. At least, so say the old
time prophets, and while the experts
of the weather bureau and the agricul-
tural department sniff at cush prophe-
cies as being groundless superstitions,
the grounding will not lack millions
OF devotees tomorrow. For is it not
written in the old jingle:
"As far as the sun shines out on Can
dlemas da,
So far will the snow blow in before
May.
AS far as the snow blows in on Cal
dlemas day.
Sa far will the sun shine out before
May"
1t all depends upon the weather on
that day and the little grounding
as to what the weather for the next
six weeks will be. The grounding,
If when he energies from his winter
alternating place, chances to see his
shadow, he will beat a hasty retreat
to his little hole and wait for fairer
weather, knowing that a meteorolog-
ical change is due. But if it is dark
and gloomy when he energies and he
sees no shadow the little animal will
figure that winter is almost gone and
that above ground is the place for
him. 1t is the habit of the ground hog
that gave this feature of a custom
otherwise so different.
The custom was instituted by Celia
sins in the latter part of the fifteenth
century. In many respects 1t resem-
bled some of the pagan celebrations
and particularly that of the pagan
Februalia, which was held at about
this same period.
In fact, the Candlemas da celebra-
ton is substitution of the Februalla
which furnishes the only logical rea-
son for use of the candles in the
festivities attendant.
February has been dedicated to the
Internal gods by the Gentiles because
at it's beginning Pluto stole Prosperine
and her mother; Ceres sought and
rescued her at night and carried
lighted candles. The Februalia cele-
bration was in honor of Ceres and the
celebrants carried lighted candles,
toe.
The holy fathers tried to stop the
celebration, but failed and decreed
that which had been done unto Ceres
should be done unto the virgin. This
is how the festival came to be known
as the Publication of the Blessed Vir-
gin. During the Middle Ages 1t was
also a fayorite time for the ceremony
among Christian mothers analogous
to the Greek presentation in the tenn
pie.
With the Reformation though came
a reaction against the custom and
from that time since 1t has lost the
greater part of its religious aspect,
even in the Latin countries. In 1854
John ball issued proclamation de.
claring that too much honor was be-
ing done to the virgin and that the
honor done unto her should be done
unto Christ. This brought the char
acter Of the celebration back to It's
Greek meaning.
1t is from England, Germany and
Scotland though that the Ground Hog
day custome comes. There the day is
observed as one of celebration in
some parts, but mostly a day for
weather representations. Many of
the rhymes that one hears about the
Scotch. In Scotland on this day 1t is
a custom for the children to bring
presents to the teachers. Each tries
to rival the other in the amount of the
gift and the boy and girl that give
the most cosby ones are hailed as
king and queen. School is then dis
missed and the children march
through the village streets carrying
the king and queen upon their