February 1st .......... Imbolc (pronounced imulk) - The ancient Celtic feast day held to celebrate a stirring of life after winter and fertility at the beginning of the lambing season. The word Imbolc may derive from old Irish meaning 'in the belly'. The celebration was presided over by the Goddess of youth and fertility -Bride
February 2nd .......Candlemas, the popular name for the feast of the Purification of Saint Mary the Virgin. The Catholic Church chose this date as it coincided with Imbolc, they renamed Bride as St Bridget.
An old weather saying for February.............
If Candlemas Day be fair and bright
Winter will take another flight
If Candlemas Day be cloud and rain
Winter is gone and will not come again.
Beware of a mild February......
A February spring is not worth a pin
Winter hasn't gone in February which is why farmers through time have always been told........
In the barn on Candlemas Day
Should be half the straw and half the hay
From Sara Coleridge's poem 'Months of the Year'........
February brings the rain
Thaws the frozen Lake Again
Then of course there is Shrove Tuesday on the 13th and Valentines Day on the 14th, more about those later
I'm glad February is a short month because I'm always itching to get out and start gardening but it's usually too wet, although I will start some things in the propagator and do the "carrying in at night and out to the conservatory in the day" thing until the weather warms up enough.
Thank you to everyone for comments yesterday, I was able to do the round up of spending on the last day of the month because I knew I wasn't going anywhere yesterday, so no more spending and I like to do the Folklore page on the first of the month.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
I'm glad February is a short month because I'm always itching to get out and start gardening but it's usually too wet, although I will start some things in the propagator and do the "carrying in at night and out to the conservatory in the day" thing until the weather warms up enough.
Thank you to everyone for comments yesterday, I was able to do the round up of spending on the last day of the month because I knew I wasn't going anywhere yesterday, so no more spending and I like to do the Folklore page on the first of the month.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
I love the folklore posts, they are fascinating.
ReplyDeleteJ x
Thank you. I like looking through my books to find all the sayings
DeleteIt was in February as children that we most frequently got snowed in here in Norfolk.
ReplyDeleteYes, there were several years more recently too - through the 80s when we seemed to get snow each half term week in Feb.
DeleteI always look forward to February as some nice days often come along.
ReplyDeleteI like it because it's short!
DeleteThe first day of February has dawned as blue sky and sunshine, very cold. I'll take note of what it does tomorrow. I do love these old sayings. Many acorns fell on Michaelmas Day (it was windy) so my grandchildren and I had our hopes raised about snow on the fields for Christmas but it didn't happen in our area, alas!
ReplyDeleteBlame Climate change!
DeleteTomorrow all your Christmas greenery should be removed from the house. Sunny and cold here, which is a good start.
ReplyDeleteMy greenery went weeks ago. Beautifully sunny here through the windy but 3 degrees outside
DeleteWINDOW not windy!
DeleteI always look forward to your first post of the month, Sue. Love to learn new things or in some cases recall things learned a long time ago. Catriona
ReplyDeleteMy Dad never tired of telling the story of the day I was born, February 25th, he had to dig a path through the snow for the midwife. He reckoned snow was up to the window ledge but not sure if it was quite that bad!
ReplyDeleteAdding to your folklore, but of a more recent origin and across the Pond, in the US. February 2nd is called Groundhog Day. This is a little ritual that is carried out in a small town in Pennsylvania where a particular ground hog called Punxsutawney Phil is brought out to determine whether or not there will be six more weeks of winter. According to legend, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring. They have been doing this little ritual for 131 years.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could draw, what an amazing skill to have. February always seems to come and go so quickly xx
ReplyDeleteTo add to Mary's comment above, in Canada it is also Groundhog day, predicted by Wiarton Willie. It is the same idea as Candlemas in that a prediction is made whether there will be six more weeks of winter. It's silly because inevitably there are six more weeks of winter after February 2nd. We've had snow in May! I like your traditions better and am a bit jealous of your earlier Spring and gentler climate. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteI've never understood the rationale behind ground hog day. Surely if he sees his shadow the sun must be shining which makes me think of warmer weather not more cold.
DeleteI've never understood the rationale behind ground hog day. Surely if he sees his shadow the sun must be shining which makes me think of warmer weather not more cold.
DeleteSue, I have my copy of the Country Diary as part of a display in the living room this month, as I do a lot of the year. I love it and I, too, wish I could paint like she did! It was a while until I read the back of the book cover where I discovered how Edith sadly died.
ReplyDeleteMuch too young too.
DeleteFebruary already. I can't believe how quickly January has flown by.
ReplyDeleteHugs-x-
I'm off to look through my Cattern Cakes book now!
ReplyDeleteLisa x
Well we've had cloud and intermittent rain all day .... but I fear Winter is not finished with us just yet.
ReplyDelete50 mph winds here in the NE of Scotland.....
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy your Folklore post. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteFellow folklorist here...thanks for a fascinating post. Do you ever look at the Thursday folklore podcast? http://www.thefolklorepodcast.com/
ReplyDeleteArilx
I always had art envy from that particular book.
ReplyDeleteWe were given 2 propogators by the widow of a fellow plotholder last year. The broad beans are up and looking very healthy. They've been moved to the greenhouse.
ReplyDeleteSunshine...chill winds...and tremendous hails...the fire is lit! Blessings x
ReplyDeleteOh I love Folklore!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you!!!