Latest news with #Brigantia
The Guardian
25-02-2025
- The Guardian
Country diary: This spring gives so much life, today we give something back
It seems to be precisely when February's sleet and muck threaten to become unbearable that the aeons-old conversation between celestial and terrestrial turns to growth and greening. We're now past the pagan quarter festival of Imbolc, which honours a goddess of many guises. Of particular relevance here, in the iron age territory of the Brigantes, she was Brigantia. Of her other guises, the foremost was the Celtic Brighid, goddess of springs, of healing and farming, or poetry wisdom and smithing – the stuff of creation. We pay a family visit to Lady's Spring Wood in nearby Malton, named for the water that rises alongside the Yorkshire Derwent. Small channels spill in braided rivulets, their clarity a startling contrast to the murky flow of the river. It's a place that is triple blessed, by topography, geology and hydrology, with elevated ground for security, river clay for pottery, a floodplain for farming, and before that for hunting and gathering, the river for transit and, principally, the springs for life. There's no doubt that the springs' situation so close to a natural fording place is the reason the town exists. There was once a castle here, and before that a Roman fort, Derventio Brigantum, named for the river, the people and the goddess whose land they occupied. So here is a right and proper place to mark the season. The main spring has a substantial pool, its surface disrupted by the concentric ripples of several upwellings. You have to come early to find it clear enough to drink, as it's a favourite splash spot for local dogs. The joy in their games is undeniable, but I imagine a future where alternative provision for canine fun can be made nearby and the spring left in peace. Meanwhile, it's not going anywhere and there are other things we can do to honour it. Today, instead of leaving Imbolc offerings, we take stuff away: poo bags in a range of hues, drink bottles in the usual livery of strident azure (Lucozade Sport), carmine (Coke Zero) and imperial purple (Ribena), and crushed beer cans. It all seems recently discarded – we're not the only ones picking up. Call it love, community spirit, reverence, it's all much same, and a little goes a long way. Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
When is Groundhog Day 2025? Here's what to know about the tradition
It's coming up to the point of the winter where a groundhog will tell us whether or not there will be six more weeks of winter. Groundhog Day is arriving quickly and everyone is waiting to see whether or not Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow or not. You know the old adage - If the groundhog sees his shadow, he will return to hibernation and winter will last another few weeks. If he doesn't see his shadow, that means warm weather is around the corner. Here's what to know about Groundhog Day. Groundhog Day is Sunday, Feb. 2. The answer is in his name. The groundhog is known as Punxsutawney Phil, because the town where the Groundhog Day tradition originated is called Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. A big celebration is still held in the town to this day. The Old Farmer's Almanac predicts that Punxsutawney Phil will not see his shadow this year, which of course means an early spring for everyone. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the holiday originated with German immigrants in Pennsylvania in the 19th Century, but it also has its roots in some Celtic customs. It's partly rooted in an old Celtic festival called Imbolc, which marked a "midpoint between seasons," according to the Almanac, which added, "The celebration of Imbolc signaled that the sun was halfway through its advance towards the spring equinox, and the season of new birth and light was on the horizon." It also stems from another Celtic holiday called St. Brigid's Day, with the Celtic goddess Brigantia being associated with dawn, light, and spring, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. The Christian festival known as Candlemas – a festival of light – is also observed on Feb. 2, and is also a precursor to Groundhog Day. "The name refers to the candles lit that day in churches, which celebrate the presentation of the Christ Child in the temple of Jerusalem," the Almanac stated, adding that the festival celebrated "light over dark." The passage added that, "Sunshine on Candlemas was said to indicate the return of winter." By the 19th Century, German immigrants brought the custom of Candlemas to Pennsylvania when they resettled there, according to the Almanac, which noted, "Finding no badgers but lots of groundhogs, they adopted the New World species to fit the lore." In 1887, Punxsutawney was declared "to be the weather capital of the world," the Almanac noted. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: When is Groundhog Day 2025? Will he see his shadow? What to know
