Candlemas Day (Noun)
Meaning
Feast day commemorating the presentation of Christ in the temple; a quarter day in Scotland.
Classification
Nouns denoting time and temporal relations.
Examples
- In Scotland, Candlemas Day was traditionally celebrated as a quarter day, marking the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
- According to tradition, the clergy would bless candles on Candlemas Day, which would then be taken home by the faithful to use throughout the year.
- In some Christian denominations, Candlemas Day is considered the final feast day of the Epiphany season, concluding the celebrations of Christ's manifestation.
- In Scotland, it was customary for the feudal lords to receive rent payments from their tenants on Candlemas Day, making it an important financial occasion.
- In some European countries, Candlemas Day was believed to be a time when winter would begin to recede, and if a badger or a bear saw its shadow on this day, there would be six more weeks of winter.