Our friend Scott starts his blogs with song titles. I like the effect. I may not start all of mine with quotes but when it's appropriate I'm going to throw them in.
Tonight was a night of inclusion.
J & I met my sister Cyndi & her husband Chris at St. Bernard's (their parish). Tonight St. Bernard's hosted a Spaghetti Dinner (pasta by Bartelotta's) and that's what we were there for. As I walked into the church I saw the priest giving out St. Blaise blessings with the candles.
Just today I studied Candlemas on the net. It's a celebration for being exactly between the winter and spring solstice. It all seems to be filled with light. Pagen rituals-carrying candles as Ceres carried candles looking for her daughter Persephone in the underworld. Christianized it becomes the 40th day after Jesus' birth, the day he's presented in the temple and Mary is allowed back in to be purified; candles are lit and carried for Mary, and it becomes Candle Mass. Then Europeans start looking for shadows on Feb. 2. The legend of Groundhog Day is based on an old Scottish couplet: "If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year."
I wanted to receive the blessing. Who couldn't use more blessings? So I got in line with J. As we waited, at least 4 people talked with me. At dinner, several people greeted us and made warm small talk.
Afterwards, I went to Scott's parents home. Scott is on the East Coast for work. Amy & the T's were there, with another family friend, all to celebrate Candle Mass. (Scott's mother was born and raised in France; I believe this celebration is more common in Europe.) They herded us in, poured some wine and let me pass the baby. The highlight of the event is making crepes. I was informed that everyone had to flip a crepe, holding a coin in your hand. If the crepe flipped, you would find luck. We all did it-me, their youngest at 5, everyone. The coin was special-a silver dollar from 1944. And the crepes were magnifique!
I could not have felt more welcomed.
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