Anyone celebrating Candlemas?

[Elleherd]

Thread for any who celebrate it, or are interested in it, and for any who took their tree down yesterday either through tradition or otherwise.

A few folk on AIBU earlier in the year mentioned they did, or intended leaving their trees up till Candlemas, others saying they'd never heard of it. (plus some harsh opinions.)

For most I think today's just another day, but for some today's a religious festival and for others it's a tradition pre dating it and for some a combination of both.

Here it's all Christmas greenery, lights etc gone yesterday. Candles up and lit this morning, bulbs inspected hopefully, (no show) seeds planted, weather noted for predicting next month and a half, some coins shined up for later, and a couple of sneaky crepes may have been eaten already... to warm up the skillet for later, honest...
Happy Candlemas!

It's Imbolc in my calendar. St Brigid's day, yes I am celebrating 🍾

I probably should have put Imbolc in the title too!

Happy Candlemas and Imbolc! ✨
I'm not religious, but I respect the meaning of the festival.
My tree will come down tomorrow (slightly late!) I couldn't get through the long dark days of January without it.
I feel positive about looking forward to the future and spring🌷

I didn't go and get my candles blessed in church this morning, but I have taken down the crib which was the last bit of decorations left up, and I have a bunch of snowdrops. I made St Brigid's crosses on Wednesday evening and left them out overnight, checked both yesterday and today (hedging my bets) to see whether any little animal could see its shadow. No. So that's good, the worst cold of the winter should be behind us. I gather the same was true for Punxsutawney Phil on the other side of the Atlantic. And tomorrow is the Feast of St Blaise, so I'll get my throat blessed.

I wonder will I watch Groundhog Day for the day that's in it?

Lovely 😍 Happy Candlemas.

Happy candlemas

We nearly made it decks down last weekend.
I adore the and candlemas.

Yes, always. We take down the decorations the day after Epiphany, but we always have a special candle lit dinner today, with extra candles and Grace.

Not exactly, but I’ve still got some warm white fairy lights up indoors. And yesterday I noticed, outside a lovely little old church in Oxford, a decorated Christmas tree still outside.
Recently I read that another name for snowdrops is Candlemas Bells - isn’t that lovely?

Here I've lit candles and I've switched the oil in my burner, which I'll keep until Oestra when I'll swap it again for something else. Out in my garden I cut a small bouquet of bay and rosemary to stand on my home altar.

@Elleherd I'm curious to know what you do with the coins that you shined - this is something I've not come across before.

Love this! Happy Candlemass. I have made a cake. And taking down the crib and front door Christmas decoration.

@DeanElderberry Groundhog Phil said spring is coming early 🏵️🌼🌺🌸
So I am very pleased with him this year.

I've taken down my Christmas cards, only some reindeer left but I'm not feeling rushed to put them away (venison isn't just for Christmas!). I turned off my outside Christmas tree lights after work, I haven't taken them down yet, still undecided as it's still dark when I get home.

Imbolc blessings to all.
Today we took down the wreath and the lights - the last of the Christmas things are away and the house is clean ready for the next part of the cycle.
Candles are lit and the snowdrops were beautiful in the weak sunshine this afternoon. We are looking towards the light days.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER It and snowdrops are both lovely names. Salisbury cathedral took it's 32 ft tree down today. It was previously a nurse tree grown at Longleat to provide a micro climate and protection from frost and storms, to some oak saplings.

MissMarplesNeice You hold them in your left hand while tossing Chandeleur crepes in your right. The squarer the crepe lands on the skillet the better your luck for the year. No real rule about polishing them, but they represent gold, so...

Enough crepes have been produced, landed squarely, been filled with fruit in alcohol and devoured here to sate the most hollow legged, with some of last years harvest still remaining. Other years have been sparser and I'm very genuinely grateful for what we have.