The
main element of your decorating scheme for Candlemas is fairly
obvious: candles. You can gather all the candles in your home
in one room and light them from one central candle. Or place a
candle in each window (but watch them carefully).
Candlemas
is one of the traditional times for taking down Christmas
decorations (Twelfth Night, on January 6th, is the other). If
you are very careful (because they are tinder dry), you can
burn them. Or, better yet, return them to the earth mother by
using them for compost or mulch.
Certain
foods are traditional for Candlemas, including crepes,
pancakes and cakes, all grain-based foods. Pancakes and crepes
are considered symbols of the sun because of their round shape
and golden color.
If you
have a fireplace, clean out your hearth and then light a new
fire. Sit around the fire and reflect on your hopes for the
coming year. What do you hope to accomplish? What are you
passionate about? What seeds do you wish to plant? Discuss
these ideas with others or write them down in a journal but
make them concrete in some way so that on Lammas (August 2nd,
the festival of the first harvest), you can look back to see
what progress you’ve made.
Brigid
is the goddess of creative inspiration as well as reproductive
fertility. This is a good time for sharing creative work, or,
if you don't think of yourself as especially creative, an idea
that worked or a plan that materialized. Thank the Goddess for
her inspiration, perhaps by dedicating a future work to her.
Other
common customs include
- Blessing
rushes/straw and making Brigid wheels
- Putting
out food and drink for Brigid on Her eve (such as buttered
bread, milk, grains, seeds)
- Chair
by hearth decorated by women; young woman carries in first
flowers & greens, candle.
- Opening
the door and welcoming Her into the home. "Bride!
Come in, the bed is made! Preserve the House for the
Triple Goddess!" Scottish Gaelic Invocation:
"May Brigit give blessing to the house that is here;
Brigit, the fair and tender, Her hue like the
cotton-grass, Rich-tressed maiden of ringlets of
gold."
- Brigid's
Bed (Scotland): Putting grain effigy and a phallic wand in
a basket next to the hearth/candles at night and chanting
three times: "Brigid is Come! Brigid is
Welcome!"
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