Groundhog-mas

While Americans are watching Punxsutawney Phil, February 2 here in Venice   is still known as the feast of the Madonna Candelora (can-del-ORA).   Or Candlemas, according to its very old English name, or the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the medium-old locution, or the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple today.

"The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple," by Ambrogio Lorenzetti (1342).
"The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple," by Ambrogio Lorenzetti (1342).

You’ll be startled to hear that it does not involve special food, songs, costumes, or any other acts or even thoughts, although down here at the waterline there may be some fragments of litany or dogma I haven’t come across.   This general silence may be because Carnival has overwhelmed it, a festival famous for its lack of litany and dogma.

However, this baby step toward spring is still recognized in an old saying you hear around, which goes like this:

Ala Madona Candelora/de l’inverno semo fora/Se xe piove o xe vento/de l’inverno semo dentro.

“At the Madonna Candelora/ we’re out of winter/ But if it’s rainy or windy / we’re still inside it.”

No mention of how long the extended winter might be (one of Phil’s more helpful services, the six-more-weeks footnote).   The canny Venetians may not have wanted to commit themselves.   Or the Blessed Virgin.

I have discovered by other means, though, that the feast was mentioned in a document dated 380, and celebrated on February 14.   Later modifications by popes and   emperors brought it to February 2; Pope/Saint Gelasius (492-496) finally suppressed the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia (also involving purification), and connected it to respect the calculation governing the Jewish ritual of a woman’s purification 40 days after giving birth (hence in the Christian calendar in the West it falls 40 days after Christmas).

This extraordinary relief is so thoroughly imprisoned for protection that it's impossible to photograph all of its beauty.  It is clearly a depiction of the presentation of Jesus; the two birds prescribed as an offering (Luke 2: 22-24) are hidden by the bars.
This extraordinary relief by the Ponte Tetta is so thoroughly imprisoned for protection that it's impossible to photograph all of its beauty. It is clearly a depiction of the presentation of Jesus; the two birds prescribed as an offering (Luke 2: 22-24) are hidden by the bars.

Some (not all) scholars also assert that the feast was instituted to replace, smother, or otherwise push off the road the rites honoring the ancient Italic goddess Cerere (borrowed from the Greeks’ Demeter), goddess of growing things, particularly grain.

Speaking of Cerere, a few years ago I was researching an article on the myriad peoples, lumped together under the rubric “Italic,” which were doing just fine in Italy prior to the Roman domination (“Italy Before the Romans,” National Geographic, January, 2005).   One of these peoples, the Samnites, occupied the territories in and around Campobasso, in Molise.

This is one of only a few depictions of Mary I've ever seen that show how young she was when she became a mother.
This is one of only a few depictions of Mary I've ever seen that show how young she was when she became a mother.

I came upon a fountain surmounted by a statue of Cerere in the square of Baranello, a small town of 2,745 souls six miles from Campobasso.   It was clearly not ancient; in fact, it was created in 1896.   Perhaps the harvest was a disaster that year — I’m just guessing.   Then again, maybe they’d had a bumper crop and didn’t want to appear to take it for granted.   I suspect that farmers tend to be belt-and-suspenders people.

The inscriptions on the statue’s pedestal (translated by me) state:

(Front) I dedicate this fountain in honor of the farmers of Baranello who with work and sobriety contributed to its well-being

(left) Almo Sun, who with your shining chariot makes the day rise and disappear and returns to be born, different but the same, may you contemplate something larger than this town.   May the earth, fertile with fruit and flocks, give to Cerere a crown of wheat-ears and may the salubrious waters and the nimbus of Jove nourish the people

(Right) O Gods, grant honest customs to docile youth, to old age placidity, and to the Samnite people give wealth, progeny, and every glory

464px-Seal_of_New_Jersey.svg compLest you think that this effusion represents the apex of Victorian nostalgia — the anonymous donor clearly beat Mussolini to the public declaration of worship of their Latin forebears — let me note that a statue of Cerere also stands atop the Chicago Board of Trade, as well as appearing on the Great Seal of the State of New Jersey, holding a cornucopia.   These notions die hard.   Or not at all.

Back to our — with all due respect — meteorological Madonna.   The forecast for February 2 is for brilliant sun all day.   I’m ready.

Enough with winter already.  Even the statues are waiting for spring, including Nino Bixio, who's got Garibaldi's back.
Enough with the winter already -- it was snowing on January 26. Even the statues are waiting for spring, including the faithful Nino Bixio, who's got Garibaldi's back.

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2 Comments

  1. Wow, you’ve reminded me of that Feb 2 feast. It was important in Poland when I was a child: unlike in Italy, where the Befana seems to close the Christmas period, in Poland it was Feb 2. Actually, the Christmas tree had to be decorated on Chrismas Eve (during daytime, to be ready for the Christmas Eve dinner) and it absolutely had to stay until Feb 2.

    I don’t know how many people still follow this tradition today. Seems that nowadays immediately after the “Christmas consumption” the advertising industry prepares the people for the “Carnival consumption”, so the might be no place left for withering Christmas trees…

    So, how’s the weather in Venice today? 😉

  2. From what I gather, it also used to be the tradition here to leave the decorations up until Feb. 2. If you took them down on Feb. 3 all kinds of ghastly consequences could be expected for the rest of the year.
    The weather today is sunny and dry — good news for everybody; we’re all pretty much sick of the fog, high water, freezing rain, snow, etc. Winter’s on its way out.
    The prediction for the US via Punxsutawney Phil, however, is the opposite. Just another reason I’m glad to be here.

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