Candlemas

The ancient celebration of Candlemas falls on 2nd February in the dead of winter, when gusty rain cuts through every coat and the grey lowering clouds obscure the stars and night sky. In Anglo Saxon times this month was called Sol-Monath. One interpretation of this is that it is the month of cakes - Bede has one mention of “hearthcake” but “sol” was also used to mean ‘mud’ or ‘dirt’ in some texts. It certainly is the muddy month here at Highclere and somehow February always seems both claggy and tiring despite its short length.

Traditionally, Candlemas marks the formal end of winter and, in the past, during the morning of 2nd February many candles were lit in churches followed by feasting and music in the afternoon. The aim was to symbolically drive out the dark. The modern word February is derived from the Latin “februarius mensis”, a month of purification, from “februare "to purify and, in Christian terms, Candlemas marks the day baby Jesus was presented at the temple in Jerusalem.  

In common with many church festivals, Candlemas was superimposed onto an old pagan festival. In British folklore, the date had its roots in the Celtic festival of Imbolc, a fire festival marking the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox which celebrated the first stirrings of spring, fertility and purification 

Candlemas is also known for its folklore surrounding the weather. The old saying goes,

 “If Candlemas Day be fair and bright,
 Winter will have another flight;
 If Candlemas Day be wind and rain,
 Winter has gone and will not come again.”

 Today, we seem to invest more in trying to protect the darkness from never ending light, keeping our bedrooms dark so we can sleep in a light polluted world. But for most of the history of humankind it was quite the reverse, and we spent our time trying to light up the darkness. Light was a challenge and it began with different types of candles.

Early candles were made from reeds dipped in or made from tallow. They were a little smoky and later, candles made from beeswax were a welcome improvement. Today, candles are both an enormously valuable business sector and a treat, the flickering flames endlessly fascinating in the darkness and the different scents comforting. Lighting candles has a calming effect on our senses as it helps us leave behind the stress of everyday life and is part of every wellbeing program. 

 For centuries, candles have been used in rituals, ceremonies and everyday life. From ancient religious practices to personal meditative moments, lighting a candle has always carried a sense of reverence. They symbolise light, hope, remembrance and the divine, serving key functions in many church services. We all still blow out candles on a birthday cake whilst festivals such as Diwali centre round candles and the concept of light. bring moments of colour and light.

From time to time there are power cuts at Highclere. It all begins with a resolve to make the best of it before the dawning realisation that somehow everything we do from telephone calls to kettles, catching up on emails or doing some ironing, requires power. What is more they always seem to happen in winter, so the light fades earlier and darkness sinks deeply into every corner, particularly in the castle. Our eyesight adjusts but is not strong enough to clearly distinguish either colour or shapes. 

The central Saloon begins to seem very large and dark and all the rather nice, scented candles I have gathered together are helpful, but wholly insufficient. There are some torches but as anyone walks off to find something, they have such a small pool of light that the best they can do is illuminate any stairs or bumps on the floor.

We know such a situation will come to an end, but complete darkness profoundly changes the sensory sensibilities of our brain, and I keep thinking this must have been how our ancestors lived for millennia - this small matter of electricity is very modern.