if Candlemas day be sunny and bright, winter will have another flight; if Candlemas day be cloudy with rain, winter is gone, and won’t come again

In the Church calendar, the feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary and the Presentation of Christ in the Temple falls on 2 February, which is known as Candlemas Day because candles are blessed at church services on that festival. In North America, 2 February is popularly known as Groundhog Day; the very similar weather prediction associated with it arises through the notion that if the groundhog emerges from its burrow on that day into bright sunlight and is frightened by its own shadow it will go back for a further six weeks’ hibernation. The superstition was known from at least as early as the early sixteenth century: Cf. 1523 SKELTON Works I. 418 Men were wonte for to discerne By candlemas day what wedder shulde holde. Quot. 1584’s version of the rhyme is close to the Latin lines in quot. 1678.

1584 R. SCOT Discovery of Witchcraft XI. XV. If Maries purifieng daie, Be cleare and bright with sunnie raie, The frost and cold shalbe much more, After the feast than was before.

1678 J. RAY English Proverbs (ed. 2) 51 If Candlemas day be fair and bright Winter will have another flight: If on Candlemas day it be showre and rain, Winter is gone and will not come again. This is a translation..of that old Latin Distich; Si Sol splendescat Maria purificante, Major erit glacies post festum quam fuit ante.

1980 Times 2 Feb. 11 Today is Candlemas Day. So let us see if the old legend holds good again as it did last year. ‘If Candlemas day be sunny and bright, winter will have another flight; if Candlemas day be cloudy with rain; winter is gone and won’t come again.’