Half-way to Spring

Many common Imbolc and Candlemas rites have to do with counting the days until Springtime. Of course, it's six more weeks until the Spring Equinox, no matter what.

Phil The Groundhog saw his shadow in Punxsutawney, PA, meaning six more weeks of winter weather. Yet Woody from Michigan did NOT see her shadow, predicting an early spring. Good news, since we sometimes get slammed with snow as late as April 29. In Medieval England, it was a badger who predicted the weather.  This tradition may have come from the Teutonic countries, brought to the USA by German immigrants.

In Ireland, the Cailleach Buehr (old woman of Winter) used the hours of sunshine to gather more firewood to burn during a long winter season. If it was cloudy on Brigid's Day, the Cailleach would sleep in, ensuring that spring would arrive earlier. The Cailleach may be the flip-side of the Goddess Bridget, in her Crone aspect. 

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Christian traditions replaced some of this Pagany stuff with their own rites, including burning candles for various spiritual reasons. Yet candles were also used for lighting the home during the long winter evenings. For the first time since Halloween (in the Eastern Daylight time zone) the sun sets AFTER 6PM. The period of daylight will lengthen until the Summer Solstice. There is a little verse about it: "After the time of Candlemas Day, goodfolk put your candles away."

In Cymru / Wales, Imbolc wasn't widely celebrated, prolly because the sheep were busy lambing, and the people were outside helping them at 3:00 AM. Instead, Catholics celebrated Gwyl Fair y Canwhyllau, pretty much the same as Candlemas, in which candles were blessed in church for the year. Yet there are plenty of Pagan overtones: divination, processions, candle-lit vigils, wassailing, and Mari Lwyds. If sunlight shown through the window, there would be a good harvest in autumn. You can read an article (in English) on Nation Cymru here: https://nation.cymru/feature/gwyl-fair-y-canhwyllau-marked-across-wales-today/
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One of the symbols of approaching springtime is the snowdrop, the first flower to emerge in spring, often poking through the snow. The ones in my yard have yet to come up, since we still have a foot of packed, frozen snow covering them. In fact, the snowdrops might wait 'til March.

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