Volume 12 , Issue 5

February Facts, Customs and Traditions

Did You know ? The Romans and Celts regarded February as the start of Spring? February, along with January, was introduced onto the Roman calendar by Numa pompous when the calendar was extended from ten to twelve. It comes from the word "februa" which means cleansing or purification and reflects the rituals undertaken before Spring.

The Anglo Saxons called February "Sol-monath" (cake-month), because cakes were offered to the gods during that month. February was also known to the Saxons as "Sprout-kale" from the sprouting of cabbage or kale. It, February, was also known in Welsh as "Y mis bach" - the little month, because of its 28 days in non-leap years.

If you were to experience this month in Shakespeare's time, about 400 years ago, the second month of the year was called "Feverell." One hundred years afterwards, in Isaac Newton's time period, it had become "Februeer." The modern name of February is only about a hundred years old.

Candlemas Day (Christian Festival of Lights) -- The 2nd of February is Candlemas Day, an ancient festival that marks the midpoint of winter, halfway between the shortest day and the spring equinox. It was thought in olden times, many people used to say that the Christmas season lasted for forty days - until the second day of February.

Robert Herrick in his poem "Ceremonies For Candlemas Eve" writes:
"Down with the rosemary and bays,
Down with the mistletoe;
Instead of holly, now up-raise
The greener box (for snow)."

Candlemas came about on the second day when all the candles, that were used in the church during the coming year, were brought into church and a blessing was said over them. So ? it was the Festival Day (or "mass") of the Candles.

Because there was no electric lights in those days, candles were important. Some people thought they gave protection against plague and illness and famine.

Borrowed Days - 12-14 February: -- 12 - 14 February were traditionally said to be borrowed from January. If these days were stormy, the year would be favored with good weather. BUT ? if fine, the year's weather would be foul. The last three days of March were said to be borrowed from April.

Other Weather-lore, Beliefs & Sayings for February: -- It was thought that if the weather was fine and frosty at the close of January and the beginning of February, there would be more winter ahead than behind.

Have you ever heard of this little verse below:
"When the cat lies in the sun in February
She will creep behind the stove in March.
Of all the months of the year
Curse a fair February.
If it thunders in February, it will frost in April.
If February give much snow,
A fine summer it doth foreshow."

Legend of Snowdrop -- There is a flower called "snowdrop" that appears in February and is a symbol of hope. There is a legend that goes something like this: The snowdrop became the symbol of hope when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden. When Eve was about to give up hope that the cold winters would never end, an angel appeared. She transformed some of the snowflakes into snowdrop flowers, proving that the winters do eventually give way tot he spring.

An old rhyme which says, "The snowdrop, in purest white array, First rears her head on Candlemas day."

The name snowdrop does not mean "drop" of snow. It means drop as in eardrop, the old word for earring. Snowdrops are also known as Candlemas bells. The Latin name for the snow drop is Galanthus, which means "milk flower."

Mysterious 8th February -- On the night of 8th of February, 1855, in England, one of the strangest, mysterious things happened.

It was during the night, heavy snowfall blinkered the countryside and small villages of Southern devon. In their houses, people huddled beneath their bedclothes on a night of intense cold. Slowly the first light of dawn came to reveal a bleak frozen landscape and the footprints.

To the astonishment of all, when people left their houses they found thousands of mystery footsteps. These were in the shape of a cloven hoof, but they moved in single file. More astonishingly was the fact that they covered a distance of one hundred miles or more and went through fields, gardens, towns, and even over rooftops.

At first people were intrigued, but then became very frightened. The news swept quickly over the country and many people believed the footprints belonged to the devil. The London newspapers published the story and experts came to investigate the footprints, before the snow melted. Nobody could offer an satisfactory solution to the mystery. What were these single-file, cloven hoof prints left behind?

All this talk of February traditions brings us to 14th of February and what many today call "St. Valentines Day.

To some it was originally thought to be the day on which birds chose their mates. There were many traditions and tales associated with romance activites on Valentines day including the following:

* The first man an unmarried woman saw on 14th February would be her future husband;

* If the names of all a girl's suitors were written on paper and wrapped in clay and the clay put into water, the piece that rose to the surface first would contain the name of her husband-to-be.

* If a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentines Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a rich person.

Kissing Friday -- What was it? Have you ever heard of "Kissing Friday" (the friday after Ash Wednesday)?

It is the Friday of "Shrove Week" (Shrove Tuesday marks 40 days before Easter). Kissing Friday was when English schoolboys were once entitled to kiss girls without fear of punishment or rejection, a custom that lasted until at least the 1940s.

In Sileby, Leicestershire, this day was also known as "Nippy Hug Day." It was there that men could demand a kiss from the woman of their choice, but if their petition was denied, they had the right to louse, or pinch, the woman's posterior -- perhaps mimicking the pinching of lice.

Also ? Last but not least, is the 25th of February which marks the birthday of this NW Okie.
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