festivals of winter

It's Mid-Winter!  Today marks the half-way point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox and is celebrated around the world as Imbolc, Candlemas, St. Brigid's Day and Groundhog Day.  (It's also Auntie Erika's and Kate's birthday.  Happy birthday girls!)
I've talked in past years about this day and our celebrations here and here, so I'll not say much this time around except to share this lovely piece of writing from the book series I'm currently reading...

May all enjoy and embrace the returning of the light.

The Winter Feast by Hendrik van the Elder Balen

"Winterfest is as much a celebration of the darkest part of the year as a festival of the returning light.  For the first three days of Winterfest, we pay homage to the darkness.  The tales told and puppet shows presented are those that tell of resting times and happy endings.  The foods are salt fish and smoked flesh, harvested roots and fruit from last summer.  Then, on the midday of the festival, there is a hunt.  New blood is shed to celebrate the breaking point of the year, and new meat is brought fresh to the table, to be eaten with grain harvested from the year before.  The next three days are days that look toward the coming summer.  The looms are threaded with gayer thread, and the weavers take over an end of the Great Hall to vie among themselves for the brightest patterns and lightest weave.  The tales told are ones that tell of beginnings of things, and of how things came to be..."
                              
                                                                    from Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb

candlemas/imbolc

Today we saw our first snowdrops on the way home from school.

Mother Earth is already sending forth blossoming bulbs and today we marked this seasonal midpoint by gathering with friends to celebrate the infant light of Spring.  We reflected on the fading of darker days kept illuminated by hearth and candle and the much anticipated return of dear Father Sun with his natural, radiant light and warmth.

We gathered up candle scraps left over from Autumn and Winter and melted them down to create new votives and tapers for all the celebrations of the year yet to come. 

 

Candle, candle burning bright

Winter's half way done tonight

All a-glowing, we are knowing

Spring will come again...

 

 

A joyous Mid-Winter to you all.

imbolc

Most of us know today as Groundhog Day (if we know it as anything at all) wherein a furry little creature predicts an early or late Spring.  It is indeed a seasonal turning point.  We’re seeing it in our own yard and community with the first signs of sprouting, an occasional mild warming and the changing of the light.  Just a few days ago Ryan realized that when he drove home from work it wasn’t dark!  The little green leaves of the tulips have begun to wedge their way out of the ground and, were we sheep keepers, I understand that traditionally this would be the time they’d begin to lamb.  That’s why, prior to Punxsutawney Phil or his European badger predecessor, the ancient pagans named this day Imbolc (which means “in the belly”).

It’s mid-winter, or the winter cross quarter day, marking the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.  It’s also the celebration day of the pagan goddess Brigid or the Christian St. Brigid’s Day or Candlemas (if you’re Catholic).  It’s a time when people of many traditions celebrate the lengthening of days and the “return of the light” with all its metaphysical implications.  For the earth it is a re-birth.  It’s also a time when many celebrate the light that has been held dear during the dark of winter - both candlelight and the hearth of the home.  We’ve decided today to burn our fading evergreen wreath to send winter on it’s way.  When it’s gone, we’ll clean the fireplace and spread the ashes in the garden. We’ll also make some changes to our nature table, stories, books and play.  Father Frost will stay but will begin to make way for the Children of Spring.  Some changes will wait until the traditional Equinox but we can see it already, the return is approaching!  On this cold winter day, we celebrate for that which is to come...