February Days

The first three days of February all get a special mention in Chambers Book of Days.

The 1st of the month is Imbolc (pronounced imulk) marking the beginning of spring in the Celtic calendar. It's halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.
The word Imbolc may derive from old Irish meaning 'in the belly' referring to the pregnancy of the ewes and the beginning of lambing. The celebration  was presided over by the Goddess of youth and fertility -Bride later merging with Bridgid (or Bridget), one of Irelands saints but also known in England and Scotland. There are still churches dedicated to St Bride but none in Suffolk. Brigid died on 1st February 525.

The 2nd is the Christian festival of Candlemas the popular name for the feast of the Purification of Saint Mary the Virgin. Forty days after the birth of a baby, mothers had to go to the temple to be ritually cleansed . Churchgoers brought household candles for blessing to ward off evil in the home, something that was  banned after the reformation but happening in many churches again now. 

At one time the Christmas season didn't officially end until Candlemas and evergreen decorations were left up until the eve of Candlemas.

Down with the holly, ivy, all

Wherewith ye dressed the Christmas hall;

That so the superstitious find

Not one least branch left behind;

For look, how  many leaves there be

Neglected there, maids, trust to me,

So many goblins you shall see.

Robert Herrick, Hesperides, Ceremony upon Candlemas Eve (1648)

The 3rd of the month is the feast day of St Blaise, patron saint of wool-combers. He is said to have saved the life of a young boy who was choking on a fish bone then becoming the saint to ask for protection against throat ailments. The priest blessed two candles, tied them together to form a cross and held them against the throat of people suffering or wanting protection. He was yet another Christian tortured before being beheaded.

From The Illuminated Book of Days by Kay and Marshall Lee this is an illustration by Eugène Grasset an artist who produced posters etc in France during the second half of C19 

February has more weather folklore than any other month and even though it's the last month of winter, there could still be lots of bad weather to come.

In the barn on Candlemas Day should be half the straw and half the hay

When gnats dance in February, the husbandman becomes a beggar

A February spring is not worth a pin

Fogs in February mean frosts in May

If Candlemas day be cloudy and black

T'will carry cold winter away on its back;

But if Candlemas Day be fine and clear,

Then half the winter's  to come this year. 

A warm day in February is a dream of April

All the months of the year curse a fair Februeer

We will find out what weather February will bring in due course. I'm guessing mixed - it usually is, There is often a spell of much colder weather and sometimes snow. Although it doesn't really matter as  I won't be venturing very far again, just swimming, exercise group and  WI this month after the January break and the first of the three Rural Bygones sales at the auction yard.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

February Days

First time out for the February plate

One month is past, another has begun

Since merry bells rang out the dying year,

And buds of rarest green began to peer,

As if impatient for a warmer sun,

And though the distant hills are bleak and dun,

The virgen snowdrop, like a lambent fire,

And in dark woods, the wandering little one

May find a primrose.

The poem above and on the plate is by Hartley Coleridge, who was (I discovered by googling) the eldest son of Samuel Taylor and sister of Sarah who wrote ........

February brings the rain

Thaws the frozen lakes again.

February  was the Roman Februaruis  and comes from the Latin verb februare  meaning to purify because the Roman festival of purification took place on the 15th.

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 who became Bridget.

February can bring any sort of weather and has many weather sayings attached. It is often cold around the third week

When gnats dance in February, the husbandman becomes a beggar

A February spring is not worth a pin

Fogs in February mean frosts in May

                                                                 Double faced February

There is always one fine week in February 

February usually speeds by. For me this month there are 2 WI meetings, 4 Exercise group meetings, 1 WI Knit and Stitch group, some swims, Middle Grandsons 3rd birthday, a Rural Bygones Sale, Six Nations Rugby starts on TV, A Craft Fair Coffee morning to visit and I'm having the trellis replaced. 

Busy, busy - but with plenty of time for reading too.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

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February Country Days

February  was the Roman Februaruis  and comes from the Latin verb februare  meaning to purify because the Roman festival of purification took place on the 15th.

February weather sayings include

A February spring is not worth a pin

and

If the cat in February lies in the sun, she will creep under the grate in March 

and the well known

February fill dyke be it black or white

which was really a plea from the farmer for plenty of wet weather ready for sowing seeds in March. Rain or snow, it's bound to be a wet and cold month, although there are often a few warm days

There is always one fine week in February

 The February page from An Illustrated Country Year by Celia Lewis is Magpies..........the bullies of the garden!

Numbers of magpies seem to have increased and it's rare for a day to go by without seeing them somewhere in the garden, meadow or lane.

My little book of country poems has one titled

AFTERNOON IN FEBRUARY

The day is ending,

The night is descending;

The marsh is frozen,

The river dead 

Through clouds like ashes

The red sun flashes

On village windows

That glimmer red.

 

The snow recommences;

The buried fences

Mark no longer

The road o'er the plain;

While through the meadows,

Like fearful shadows,

Slowly passes

A funeral train.

The bell is pealing,

And every feeling

Within me responds

To the dismal knell;

 

Shadows are trailing,

My heart is bewailing

And tolling within

Like a funeral bell.

Henry Wordsworth Longfellow

If you weren't miserable about February weather before reading this then you would be afterwards!

 

February 1st is also .......... 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 -Brighid (later St Brigid) I wrote about St Brigid on the 1st February last year.   and made a St Brigids cross with paper strips which I kept until I cleared the "dresser" shelves ready for moving.   

 

Back Tomorrow

Sue

 

 

February 1st - Imbolc

From the book  'Ceremonies of the Seasons' by Jennifer Cole. The winter turns to spring segment of the wheel of the year.

February 1st .......... Imbolc (pronounced imulk) - The first of the four Celtic festivals, held to celebrate a stirring of life after winter and the beginning of the lambing season. The word Imbolc may derive from old Irish meaning 'in the belly'. The Celts celebrated by lighting fires to honour the Goddess of light, youth and fertility, hearth and home -Brighid - The Bright One.
Brighid later became the Christian St Brigid who was a real person living around 525 CE. Celtic myth and Christian folktales are often blended. One story says Brigid was the midwife of the Virgin Mary.
A lucky charm associated with Imbolc is St Brigids cross - originally woven from rushes and hung on the door to protect, purify and bring good fortune to the home

Image from internet

I thought I'd have a go at making one, didn't have rushes but plenty of young willow. But even after soaking it was too thick to fold in half and flatten.

So until I find some rushes somewhere - not common in dry Suffolk but I've seen them occasionally, I had a go with paper strips.

Here's a youtube tutorial................

And my effort with paper.

To hold it together I stuck a piece of green card on the back.



Hope you all have a lovely weekend.............I'm looking forward to the start of the 6 Nations Rugby on TV.
Back on Monday
Sue

Ist February ....Imbolc and tomorrow the 2nd........ Candlemas

Imbolc (pronounced imulk) was a Gaelic festival promising the change from winter to spring. Halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox celebrating  a stirring of life after winter and fertility at the beginning of the season.
The word Imbolc may derive from old Irish meaning 'in the belly' referring to the pregnancy of the ewes and the beginning of lambing. The celebration  was presided over by the Goddess of youth and fertility -Bride

Later came the Christian festival of Candlemas the popular name for the feast of the Purification of Saint Mary the Virgin. Forty days after the birth of a baby mothers had to go to the temple to be ritually cleansed.

Both celebrated with the lighting of candles and fires. People would visit holy wells and ask for good health and water would be taken to bless the home and family.

Below is a February page from The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady

 February has more weather folklore than any other month and even though it's the last month of winter, there could still be lots of bad weather to come

In the barn on Candlemas Day should be half the straw and half the hay

When gnats dance in February, the husbandman becomes a beggar

A February spring is not worth a pin

Fogs in February mean frosts in May

If Candlemas day be cloudy and black

T'will carry cold winter away on its back;

But if Candlemas Day be fine and clear,

Then half the winter's  to come this year.

Which will be correct this year? - If any!

I'm not keen on January but February is usually a bit more hopeful and although only 3 days shorter than January it seems to go more quickly. There are often some good days although snow is just as likely, but the sunny days can have a touch of spring about them. It's also the time I get started with some seed sowing.........indoors only - needs to be much warmer for me to venture into the greenhouse.

Back Tomorrow
Sue

February Days

Here is a February page from Edith Holden's book 'Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady'. Wish I could draw and paint........(sigh).............

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