Candlemas involves the celebration of welcoming the spring.
It marks the middle point of the dark months, a time when seeds in the ground begin to grow, spring is on the way, and the light is returning. It is a time to honor the maiden Goddess Brigid, a goddess of fire, poetry, childbirth. One of the customs of Imbolc is to place a lighted candle in every window of the house in the evening, and leave the candles burning all night, or until they burn out. Another custom is to weave "Brigit's Crosses" to hang in the house for protection. Imbolc is a time to celebrate new growth and new beginnings.
At the time of Candlemas, the newborn Sun God is seen as a small child nursing from the Mother. At this phase of the cycle, winter is swept away and new beginnings are nurtured.
It is traditional at Candlemas to light every lamp in the house for a few minutes in honor of the Sun's rebirth.
Imbolc is a festival of waxing light and purification, heralding the potential of spring. It is associated with the Celtic goddess Brid (pronounced 'breed') (also called Bride, Bridhe, Brigid or Bridget). In terms of the Goddess cycle, Imbolc is the point at which the old, winter aspect of the Goddess, the Crone, is transformed into the Maiden (the Virgin Goddess, Brid).
Brigid's Cross
The Brighid's Cross is traditionally made on February 2 and it is a symbol of protection and prosperity for the coming year.
How to Make a Brigid's CrossA Brigid's Cross can be made with wheat stalks, grasses, reeds or rushes. Gather a few dozen reeds of the same length. If they tend to break when you bend them, soak them in water to soften them, so that they will bend easily.
Hold one reed vertically, and fold another in half around the middle of the first. Fold next reed over the last one.(It will be parallel to the first reed) Fold next reed over the reeds one and three.(It will be parallel to the 2nd reed) Continue to work in a circular fashion, until you have used up your reeds, or created enough of a "woven" center to the cross. Hold the reeds together carefully, and tie each end together with string, so that the cross won't fall apart.
Go to: CANDLEMAS for a full explanation of this festival.
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