In France and Belgium, crepes or thin pancakes are a traditional Candlemas treat. Each family member cooks a pancake while holding a coin in the other hand, thus ensuring wealth and happiness for the next year. The pancakes are round and golden in colour, and are a symbol of the return of spring sunshine after a cold winter.
In Mexico, the presentation of Jesus in the Temple is celebrated with family meals of tamales. Whoever finds the bean in the king-cake at Christmastime is responsible for cooking the Candlemas tamales for the whole family.
There's a theory that Candlemas derives from pagan celebrations as it occurs halfway between the December solstice and the March equinox, winter's halfway point while waiting for spring.
Many people believed that Candlemas Day predicted the weather for the rest of the winter. A bright sunny Candlemas meant more winter to come, and a cloudy wet stormy Candlemas meant that the worst of the winter was over. This is the basis for the February 2nd tradition of North America.... Groundhog Day. Will the groundhog see his shadow? I wonder.......
If Candlemas Day be fair and bright
Winter will have another fight.
If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain,
Winter won't come again.
I didn't know all this and I was, at one time, quite involved in a Christian community. I'm not sure about holding a coin while making pancakes. What if dropped the coin in the batter unknowingly. It could cause a trip to the dentist. Or maybe you could go to the church and have the priest pray the pain away? :)
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of this, but I can well imagine that the church was piggybacking on a pagan day, just as they have partially done in both Christmas and Easter. Nothing wrong with that, makes sense actually.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Thank you for sharing. No more winter here if the lore is correct. Lol.
ReplyDeleteI'd heard of candlemas before, but not more than the word. We're getting winter through April, regardless.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, I just learned something new. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI tried to find a crepe in the city today Shammi.. no luck, thankfully our weather is pretty predictable 😋
ReplyDeleteI didn't know any of this and I'm a practising Christian! My bad. Any excuse to eat a crepe though.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! I had no idea.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason to eat tamales! I like it...