MoonChild
30-01-04, 06:24 PM
Imbolc is the traditional Celtic celebration of the beginning of spring, celebrated on February 2 (thus the timing of my post :) ).
Pre-Christian Europeans celebrated the return of life to the land (Imbolc means "in milk"), as lambs and calves are being born, and the first spring shoots begin to appear through the snow. Brigid, the Earth Mother (goddess) was celebrated with what flowers were blooming, blessing of the seeds that would be planted during the season, and feasting on milk products such as fresh milk from the new mothers (the livestock, of course! ;) ), cheese, and butter.
During these early times, travel was dangerous due to the weather, and the winter nights had been long and dreary, so a celebration of the return of life and light within one's own village was a way to help stave off depression and cabin fever.
Fire is also associated with the celebration, to light up the still-dark evening and as an expression of hope and joy that spring was coming. A big bonfire was possible because, secure in the knowledge that the heating season was nearly over, they didn't have to hoard dwindling supplies of firewood.
Later, as the Catholic Church incorporated the holidays of the old religion into itself, February 2 became Candlemas, a celebration commemorating the Virgin Mary's return to purity 40 days after giving birth to Jesus. This was (obviously) marked by candles and fire, perpetuating the traditions of the people while giving them new meaning for the new religion.
By Medieval times, the superstition of "6 more weeks of winter" if it was a sunny day on Candlemas was born. Germans watched for the appearance of a badger and it's shadow to predict the weather. Colonists to the New World brought this superstition and the celebration of Candlemas, and it was gradually intermixed with the beliefs of the native Delaware Indians. The Delaware settled (in the late 1700's) in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. THEY believed that their ancestors were created as groundhogs who emerged from "mother earth" and became men.
Today, the remnants of the old tradition can be seen by the anemic little celebration of "Groundhog day", with "Punxsutawney Phil", the official weather-predicting groundhog!
You can learn more about the modern celebration, and Phil's recent political statements, here :D
http://www.groundhog.org/
This little creature was also, of course immortalized in the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray :)
Pre-Christian Europeans celebrated the return of life to the land (Imbolc means "in milk"), as lambs and calves are being born, and the first spring shoots begin to appear through the snow. Brigid, the Earth Mother (goddess) was celebrated with what flowers were blooming, blessing of the seeds that would be planted during the season, and feasting on milk products such as fresh milk from the new mothers (the livestock, of course! ;) ), cheese, and butter.
During these early times, travel was dangerous due to the weather, and the winter nights had been long and dreary, so a celebration of the return of life and light within one's own village was a way to help stave off depression and cabin fever.
Fire is also associated with the celebration, to light up the still-dark evening and as an expression of hope and joy that spring was coming. A big bonfire was possible because, secure in the knowledge that the heating season was nearly over, they didn't have to hoard dwindling supplies of firewood.
Later, as the Catholic Church incorporated the holidays of the old religion into itself, February 2 became Candlemas, a celebration commemorating the Virgin Mary's return to purity 40 days after giving birth to Jesus. This was (obviously) marked by candles and fire, perpetuating the traditions of the people while giving them new meaning for the new religion.
By Medieval times, the superstition of "6 more weeks of winter" if it was a sunny day on Candlemas was born. Germans watched for the appearance of a badger and it's shadow to predict the weather. Colonists to the New World brought this superstition and the celebration of Candlemas, and it was gradually intermixed with the beliefs of the native Delaware Indians. The Delaware settled (in the late 1700's) in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. THEY believed that their ancestors were created as groundhogs who emerged from "mother earth" and became men.
Today, the remnants of the old tradition can be seen by the anemic little celebration of "Groundhog day", with "Punxsutawney Phil", the official weather-predicting groundhog!
You can learn more about the modern celebration, and Phil's recent political statements, here :D
http://www.groundhog.org/
This little creature was also, of course immortalized in the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray :)