Believers, gather round. We are about to observe, or not, it turns out, maybe the least known of all Christian holidays. It is mentioned in the pages of Luke and Leviticus. Purifications and offerings of lambs and dove were referenced. It centers around the Abrahamic covenant of the religious rite of circumcision. 40 days after birth, and, based on a passage in Genesis referencing circumcision on the 8th day, 32 days after that rite, infant boys – some text say infant girls, as well – were presented to the temple. Calculating the celebration of Jesus’ birth on December 25th brings us to February 2nd. Biblical passages, including one in Isaiah, mention processions of lights (a light for revelation to the Gentiles), thus the use of candles in many Christian religions. It is time to celebrate Candlemas, or Candlemass, the holy day honoring the presentation of Jesus. But, wait, Dina, you’re actually writing a religious column on the religious page? Well sure, sort of. I keep my eye on the prize all of the time. I pray. I meditate on lovely, beautiful thoughts toward mankind. I do everything I can to move toward love, toward understanding, toward light, and toward God. But, just like the birth of Jesus morphed into Santa Claus – ok, there was a Christian bishop named Nicholas who helped the needy, was promoted to sainthood, and was eventually touted Santa Claus – Candlemas, too, was modernized and “improved” by way of Pennsylvania. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, that is.
In 1887, there was a newspaper editor who belonged to a groundhog hunting group. Wait, what? It’s true. See, groundhogs commonly invade, and can destroy, cropland. They love beans, peas, carrot tops, alfalfa, and grasses. They can also cause extensive damage to homes, as their burrowing can destroy foundations. Pennsylvania had a terrible groundhog problem, thus, hunting clubs were common. Also, groundhog meat was commonly eaten. Yep, the Punxsutawney Spirit mentions, in a 1910 article, a pie made of groundhog meat. There were references comparing the taste to rabbit. As a true hibernating animal, the groundhog goes underground in late fall, where their hearts will slow to a mere 5 beats per minute as they sleep and shed 30% of their body fat. In February, the groundhog will emerge, temporarily, to find a mate, then return underground until March. But between the hunting clubs and the meat pies and the decimated crops, this early emergence was confused with an omnipotent knowledge of weather forecasting. In an effort to promote the Punxsutawney hunting club as superior to all others, our friendly 1887 reporter proclaimed his town’s emerging groundhog, Phil, to be the only one capable of answering the age old question. Will we have an early spring, or 6 more weeks of winter? So, what does this have to do with baby Jesus being presented at the temple? Not much, but there’s always an unraveling thread ready to pull.
The celebration of Candlemas was a big deal in Europe. The Germans, however, took it to a whole new level. Clergy would routinely bless and distribute candles to all participants, referencing the procession of lights and Jesus being the light of the world. Also, the candles were needed in the communities for the winter. From the ancient times forward, candles were made from tallow, fat usually rendered from beef or mutton. If a community had a successful year of hunting, the tallow would be plentiful and the candles would be numerous. If there were problems with crops or illness in hunted animals, there would be less tallow and a candle shortage. In a time where superstitions were the rule instead of the rarity, however, the number of candles at the Candlemas celebration foretold the length of the winter. Some text says less candles meant a harder, darker winter. Other text says short candles were considered bad luck and meant harsh days were still around the corner. The Germans expanded this idea, assigning winter predictions not to candles, but to hedgehogs. After large numbers of Germans settled in Pennsylvania, they were disappointed to find that their beloved hedgehogs weren’t indigenous to that area. So, while they settled on the next best thing, the comical looking groundhog, the rules remained the same. If the creature sees its shadow and is scared back into its burrow, six more weeks of winter is coming. If he doesn’t run, get ready for an early spring.
Spring is a time of reckonings. There is a meteorological reckoning where spring is defined as the first occasion where average daily temps exceed zero degrees Celsius for 7 consecutive days, with latitude and elevation variables. There is an astronomical reckoning related to how spring is recognized culturally, be that the summer solstice of the Northern Hemisphere, Farvardin in Persia, the Chinese calendar, or the cultural months of March and April in India. And, there is an ecological reckoning for spring, as regardless of any fixed calendar date, spring is all about biological indicators: blossoms, flourishing micro flora, and animal activities. We take our biblical indicators for spring in the form of words like rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, and regrowth. In simplistic terms, we get a huge do-over every spring. It’s no wonder there’s a Candlemas celebration in Christian religions to commemorate a 40 day old baby as he was recognized as the light of a world that wished to be reborn. Whatever religious beliefs you subscribe to, here’s to the first day of February, our personal reckoning. May your burdens feel lighter. May your tallow barrel run deep. May we all focus on the healing power and growth in the symbiotic harmony that only spring can provide. But, stay away from the meat pies for now. Punxsutawney Phil thanks you, hopefully, without his shadow.
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.