Christmas is not finished yet!!!!

[Jaga]

This is so strange in America - just after Christmas Eve we all should sing Christmas carols and lighten our Christmas tree - but in America the Christmas already finished! It is not even 3 kings yet... and there is no any carols anywhere...

[glow=red,2,300]it is just because Christmas here is - to attract people to buy and buy and buy![/glow]
In Poland Christmas season is until February 2nd so I am not taking my hat yet - if you don't believe read the article:

culture.polishsite.us/articles/art69.html
Christmas Timeframe

[nancy]

Unfortunately, Jaga, Christmas is indeed over here. Trees and wreaths seem old, if they have been up for a month or more already. Some people in my town leave their wreaths up for months, and people write nasty letters to the local newspapers about it.

In January we already start wishing for February, groundhog day, and spring. We can't help it, we push the seasons here - don't know how to live in the moment.

[gardenmoma]

I guess I'm one of those "stubborn" people I don't take our tree down (just a little one this year) until the Epiphany - feast of the three kings - or later.

My wreath also stays up on my front door until sometime in February...then the neighbors politely inquire as to when I plan to take it down

I usually put up something heart-shaped around Valentine's Day.

So, I guess I agree with Jaga..."Christmas is not finished yet!"

[forza]

Not yet???

[Yanc]

Nancy

forgive my ignorance, but what is "groundhog day". I've heard it many times, even seen movie with title like this, but frankly, I have no idea if this has some special meanings which i can't catch due to cultural differences?

[piwo]

yanc said:

Nancy

forgive my ignorance, but what is "groundhog day". I've heard it many times, even seen movie with title like this, but frankly, I have no idea if this has some special meanings which i can't catch due to cultural differences?

It began I believe as a regional "farmers" way of predicting how soon spring comes. If the rodent sees his shadow on February 2nd, 6 more weeks of winter; if not, an early spring. It's like a folklore, or "old wives tale". Regional, but with national interest, probably because of publications like "THE FARMERS ALMANAC", which predicts the years weather and other events. Never really a recognized holiday nationally, though some of the local hot spots may have at one time, or still do take a holiday.

In college, I knew a girl from Wisconsin who said their schools all closed on "doe day", which back then was the only day hunters could shoot a doe (female deer). So many families participated: fathers, mothers, boys and girls alike, that the schools weren't attended and many shops would close. Regional, but not national.

Perhaps somebody knows a detailed history of the event?

[george]

Christmas season ending on Feb. 2nd? Whew! I'll take the American end of Chritmas any day. Thats just WAY too long. Its over and its over.

[nancy]

forgive my ignorance, but what is "groundhog day". I've heard it many times, even seen movie with title like this, but frankly, I have no idea if this has some special meanings which i can't catch due to cultural differences?

It began I believe as a regional "farmers" way of predicting how soon spring comes. If the rodent sees his shadow on February 2nd, 6 more weeks of winter; if not, an early spring. It's like a folklore, or "old wives tale". Regional, but with national interest, probably because of publications like "THE FARMERS ALMANAC", which predicts the years weather and other events.

Snipped From the OFFICIAL Punxsutawney Phil website
www.groundhog.org/
(please visit it, lots more fun and info there - Phil is the official Groundhog Day groundhog):

The groundhog tradition stems from similar beliefs associated with Candlemas Day and the days of early Christians in Europe, and for centuries the custom was to have the clergy bless candles and distribute them to the people. Even then, it marked a milestone in the winter and the weather that day was important.

According to an old English song:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.

According to an old Scotch couplet:

If Candlemas Day is bright and clear,
There'll be twa (two) winters in the year.

Another variation of the Scottish rhyme:

If Candlemas day be dry and fair,
The half o' winter to come and mair,
If Candlemas day be wet and foul,
The half of winter's gone at Yule.


The Roman legions, during the conquest of the northern country, supposedly brought this tradition to the Teutons, or Germans, who picked it up and concluded that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, an animal, the hedgehog, would cast a shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of bad weather, which they interpolated as the length of the "Second Winter."

Pennsylvania's earliest settlers were Germans and they found groundhogs to in profusion in many parts of the state. They determined that the groundhog, resembling the European hedgehog, was a most intelligent and sensible animal and therefore decided that if the sun did appear on February 2nd, so wise an animal as the groundhog would see its shadow and hurry back into its underground home for another six weeks of winter.

.......
The ancient Candlemas legend and similar belief continue to be recognized annually on February 2nd due to the efforts of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.

[rdywenur]

Jaga...you can come over to my house any time. Christmas is never over here till I am good and ready and always after little Christmas.

[Jaga]

Chris,

thanks for invitation. We can deifinitively think about some meeting in the future with more of us

[Yanc]

Nancy, Piwo

Thanks for explanation.

[leslie]

It seems that in UK we are very similar to many other parts - not surprising as we once ruled a large proportion of the world. Christians in UK celebrate Epiphany - January 6 - and no doubt take the same non-religious action as non-believers. In general January 6 is referred to as Twelfth Night and it is on this day (before midnight comes) that traditionally all Christmas decorations are taken down - Christmas is over for another year! My family, even in their non-active years with no active religion followed this 12fth Night tradition.
Keeping a wreath on the front door until February sounds more of an occult practice - I would assume seeing a wreath on the door in February that somebody had died!
Leslie

[gardenmoma]

Keeping a wreath on the front door until February sounds more of an occult practice -

I have been told (mostly by students) that in the old days I probably would have been considered a (good) witch

I would assume seeing a wreath on the door in February that somebody had died!

Only if it were black magnolia leaves with black ribbons!
Certainly can't confuse that with my beautiful evergreen green wreath and red berries and ribbons!

I will, this year, take most of my indoor decorations down by the 6th

[leslie]

Hi Gardenmoma
You take no notice of me and my weird Anglic ideas and do just what you want!
I take your point about the contents of the different wreaths, but I think, having just caught a glimpse of a wreath on a front door in February, I would hurry on by and not take note of the contents - but after all, I am but a mere man!
But no excuses - in medieval times in the UK any sort of witch would be thrown into the pond to see if they floated or sank!
Leslie

[suzanne]

As a kid, my parents almost always left the tree up til at least Epiphany, though not so much for religous reasons as that was simply what they were used to doing.

Regarding Groundhog Day: It goes back a very long time and has pre-Christian origins. It was a holiday ("Imbolc") in the Celtic calendar and marks the halfway point between winter solstice and spring solstice and people used the day to figure out when to plant seeds, based on what the weather was likely to be.