A lot is being written about Imbolc these days, so I thought to myself it's maybe interesting for you which rituals are practised in my homeland Germany in some regions.
At the moment I am busy preparing for this day by making and decorating candles for the new born light in a few days.
The lighting of new white candles, the young light, and the consecration of the light on Imbolc/ Candlemas Day is still anchored in customs throughout Europe.
The Catholic Church has turned this into the consecration of candles as a small remnant of the consecrated virgin light. The new name "Maria Lichtmess" (Candlemas) fits in with this, of course.
Here are some various customs that I know from my homeland Germany and Austria as well.
- The consecrated Candlemas fire is carried from house to house and the hearth fire is lit with it, or a candle is lit at the altar in the house.
- It is customary to carry the burning candles throughout the house and barns to pass on the blessing everywhere.
- In some regions three drops of wax are dripped onto a loaf of bread as protection for the year. The bread is then kept.
- Wax from the Imbolc candles are dripped on the farmers plough to guarantee a good harvest for the year ( I drip some wax drops on my gardening tools, maybe an idea for you?)
- The custom to knock on trees or to shake the fruit trees awake on Imbolc and tell the bees in the hive the glad news of the returning light is still practised by old farmers.
- In many places the threshing and spinning is said to be finished on this day, for now comes the pea or corn bear (that's a man dressed in a straw costume), which, as we have seen, brings the new fertility.
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