Most of us know February 2 as Groundhog Day and think of it as little more than a silly superstition. But did you know that Groundhog Day is a vestige of an ancient holiday which marks the midway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox?

For those of us living in the wintry northern hemisphere, making it half-way through winter is a cause for celebration!

This time of year has been celebrated for centuries in many ways in many places. Candlemas refers to the Christian festival, marking 40 days after the birth of Christ. It is a holiday of purification, with the candles representing the purifying nature of light, both spiritually and physically. It is also the ritual end to the Christmas season, and often Christmas greenery are burned on this day, and holiday decorations are put away.

But even before the creation of the Christian liturgical year, in…