|
fergus -> RE: Happy Imbolc! (2/2/2006 1:11:04 PM)
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: Aileen68
This Italian only knows what Grounhog day is. Care to elaborate on the others?
Aileen, Imbolc is an old Celtic holiday celebrated still by Pagans of many different varieties.
Historically, it was a recognition of the time of year when the cows beging to give milk again, and how that is associated with nurturing motherhood. It is also a recognition of the returning sun (days starting to NOTICIBLY get longer) and its associations with the cyclical growth of masculine energy.
St. Bridgit's day is the Christainization of Imbolc under the Celtic church(Later to be subsumed by the Catholic Church), and the Irish associations of the Goddess Bridgit and motherhood. Candlemas is the non-Irish specific form of the holiday focusing on the practice of lighting candles to encourage the returning light.
fergus
p.s. Groundhog day is a New World holiday .... there are no groundhogs in Europe ... but the early settlers brought with them the tradition of weather prediction by animal movements .... alas, there are no hedgehog's native to North America, so the groundhog was substituted.
|
|
|
|
