Date: February 2nd 2009

February 2009

From The Writer's Almanac for February 2, 2009 by Garrison Keillor:

Today we celebrate three holidays, all of them from the same source.

February 2nd is a "cross-quarter" day in the solar calendar, which means that it falls exactly between a solstice and an equinox.

It's the ancient Celtic celebration of Imbolc, in honor of Brigit, the goddess of fire, poetry, healing, and childbirth. Brigit brings the healing power of the sun back to the world on Imbolc, a day that carries the first promise of spring. Imbolc comes from the Old Irish i mbolg, meaning "in the belly," because this is the time when ewes became pregnant to deliver spring lambs.

The Christians took over the Celtic celebration and made February 2nd into a Christian holiday, Candlemas Day. Candlemas Day celebrates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple exactly 40 days after Christmas.

There are many old sayings about today — about the emergence of animals from their winter dens and omens that predict the season ahead. One English saying goes:

If Candlemas day be fair and bright, Winter will have another flight. But if Candlemas day bring clouds and rain, Winter is gone and won't come again.

There was a tradition in many European countries of watching animals — especially badgers — to see how they acted on this day. If they returned to their dens, it meant that there was still a long winter ahead.

German immigrants in Pennsylvania found that there weren't a lot of badgers in America, but there were a lot of groundhogs, so the holiday evolved into Groundhog Day. The first reference to Groundhog Day is from 1841, in the diary of a storekeeper in Morgantown, Pennsylvania. He wrote: "Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks' nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate."

Send your news! Let the community know about events that are open to the public and are either interfaith or offer an opportunity for others to learn about your faith community. Send information to calendar@interfaithspace.org.

 

 

 

 

February Religious and Cultural Observances

• 1 Four Chaplains Day (Interfaith)
• 1 St Brighid of Kildare (Celtic Christian)
• 2 Brigid / Imbolc / Oimelc / Candlemas (Wiccan/ Pagan)
• 2 Presentation of Jesus in the Temple - Candlemas (Roman Catholic, some Protestants)
• 3 Setsunbun-Sai (Shinto)
• 8 Triodion begins (Orthodox Christian)
• 9 Tu B'shvat (Jewish)
• 14 St Valentine's Day (secular)
• 15 Parinirvana Day (Chinese Buddhist)
• 22 Meatfare Sunday (Orthodox Christian)
• 22 Transfiguration Sunday (Protestant)
• 23 Mahashivaratri (Hindu)
• 24 Shrove Tuesday (Roman Catholic, some Protestants)
• 25 Ash Wednesday (Beginning of Lent) (Western Christian)

[Interreligious Calendar events are taken from the Silicon Valley FACES Interfaith Calendar and the Multifaith Action Society Multifath Calendar 2008. See also the Online Interfaith Calendar] NOTE: Jewish Holidays begin at sundown the day before. Buddhist holidays are observed on many different days, according to local tradition.

Upcoming Interfaith Opportunities

"Interfaith Opportunities" focuses on specifically interfaith events; "Take Action" offers opportunities to take action on issues of concern with people from other religious traditions, and "Meet Your Neighbors" includes events that are sponsored by a specific religious group but which are open to the wider community. Items for the calendar can be sent to calendar@interfaithspace.org

Click on highlighted links below for more information-

Sunday February 8, 2009, 1:15- 3:30 pm, Los Gatos

Women's Interfaith Dialogue Encounter:
Does the past have a vote or Veto?

Through small group and large group interactions we will explore: Does the past have a vote or Veto? How do our religous and cultural traditions adapt to changing circumstances, what needs to be preserved and what needs to evolve?

Meet Your Neighbors

Public events sponsored by specific religious groups that seek to help others understand their tradition and concerns more fully.

Wednesdays, October 2008- May 2009, San Jose

The Church—People, History, Theology:
Faith Enrichment Speakers Series

A series of monthly presentations aimed at expanding people’s knowledge and understanding of the whole Catholic Church, especially the Eastern Churches.11 February 2009—Feasts of the Theotokos: Mother of God, Image of the Church.  Fr James K. Graham.

Take Action

Events that address issues of public concern with an alliance of people from different religious traditions.

Thursday, February 5th from 1:30 - 3:00 pm, San Jose

Collaborative Homeless Outreach Teams:
Bringing the Community Together!

At this meeting we will create homeless outreach teams and focus on areas in need of outreach. The key areas we will focus on will be downtown San Jose, Guadalupe Park, Bus 22, and various encampments throughout the city. This meeting is open to EVERYONE interested in becoming more involved with homeless outreach.

Thursday, Feb. 19, 5:30pm-7:30pm, Palo Alto

Multifaith Voices for Peace & Justice:
Where do we go from here???

With the inauguration of a new president, a clear and welcome turn away from the policies of the last eight years, and a great degree of hope for the coming years, we now wonder: what's next for MVPJ? Now, we are asking you to help us decide what next.

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And more...

News and Notes from Interfaith Space is an occasional blog with information and commentary on issues related to interfaith relations in the South Bay, the Nation, and around the world.

You can find News and Notes by going to the Interfaith Space website (www.interfaithspace.org) and clicking on "Notes," or simply going to www.revdak.com/wordpress/. I invite you to add your comments or responses; together we can create an online "dialogue on dialogue"!

Help us share your good news! If you know of interfaith opportunities that are coming up- please let us know so they can be included on the Interfaith Space Calendar. Send information to calendar@interfaithspace.org.