Kitchen Garden Forum

to all you agriculturists out there HAPPY IMBOLC

Never one to miss an opportunity - does this have any relation to today's Candlemas Day?

Wasn't that yesterday Grock?

Sorry Tigger, forgot to say, it's a pagan festival but it's also GROUNDHOG DAY!

no deffo today and yes its also candlemas,the end of the darkness and tine of growth.also time for a good clean out,thats the bit i dont like

Grock, we're both right

"This season belongs to Brigid, the Celtic goddess who in later times became revered as a Christian saint. Originally, her festival on February 1 was known as Imbolc or Oimelc, two names which refer to the lactation of the ewes, the flow of milk that heralds the return of the life-giving forces of spring. Later, the Catholic Church replaced this festival with Candlemas Day on February 2, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and features candlelight processions. The powerful figure of Brigid the Light-Bringer overlights both pagan and Christian celebrations."

So there you go folks... dunno about the groundhogs though...

that it chantel ,Brigid is sacred to the day,shesthe Goddess of fire,inspiration and poetry.we light lots of white candles and snowdrops represent the mother and crone,but im not talking about liz,the emphasis is on the virgin:female things

Sorry - only know about Candlemas on Feb 2nd. Know about the Asian celebration as Usha in The Archers mentioned it. Good for my education.

Candlemas is halfway to Spring.

Of course we Americans have to have our own take on it. Feb 2 is Groundhog Day. When Punxsutawney Phil (here's his site http://www.groundhog.org/) the groundhog comes out from his winter hibernation to see if he can see his shadow. According to the site Phil saw his shadow so we're to have six more weeks of winter.

I didn't know this: The legend of Groundhog Day is based on an old Scottish couplet: "If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year."
Another version: "For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May..." If he hadn't seen his shadow spring would have been just around the corner.

Maybe spring arrives with muddy groundhog paws.

Supposedly he's 120 years old and has always been right about when spring is coming. Crazy but true.

Belated Imbolc blessings from the Derbyshire pagan. (Busy looking after a sicky child yesterday)

Belated greetings also, strangely enough also looking after two sickly kids, (and one grumpy husband) with various lurgys....what is going on in Derbyshire? 50 kids are currently off school ill at my son's school, not a good start to the season....

Grock
I'm a used virgin, but you've got more kids than me. Mind you, i used to be as pure as the snow but I drifted

thats right ive heared youve ploued through a few

That's just a vicious rumour, and they couldn't decide at the court case either

Lizzie, try being a born again virgin like me...


Yeah I know, virgin on the ridiculous is more like it.