The First of February and Other Days of Similar Significance.

[Padraig]

'On what day of the month did I first see a daisy, Matthew?'
'On the 1st of February, sir.'

attributed to Sir Lumley Skeffington

[french frank]

Beware the Ides of March

[In March July October May
The Nones fall on the 7th day
And the Ides on the 15th]

[Nick Armstrong]

Tomorrow, lest I mistake, be Candlemas.

Would that we had a bank holiday...

[Anna]

And, today's Saint is Brigid of Ireland (also patron of dairymaids and cattle - due to her giving away all the family's butter to the poor. Also, she heard St. Patrick preach)

[vinteuil]

Tomorrow, lest I mistake, be Candlemas.

...

... ah yes, la chandeleur! Pancakes all round

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandeleur

also of course Murmeltiertag : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_Day

[vinteuil]

And, today's Saint is Brigid of Ireland

... and indeed Imbolc!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imbolc

[mangerton]

There's this, which my mother taught me, used by the Scots to calculate Easter:

The Date of Easter (in Scots)

First comes Candlemas.
An syne the new meen,
The first Tuesday aifter that
Is Fastern' Een.
That meen oot,
An the neist meen's hicht,
On the first Sunday aifter that
Is Pess richt.

I could imagine Macbeth's witches reciting that, except they probably wouldn't have been very interested in a religious festival.

[Serial_Apologist]

We might feel inclined to give thanks to the devisers of our calendar for allowing us an additional day to this particular month, it being a Leap Year. Or curse them for prolonging the winter by that additional day!

[P. G. Tipps]

There's this, which my mother taught me, used by the Scots to calculate Easter:

The Date of Easter (in Scots)

First comes Candlemas.
An syne the new meen,
The first Tuesday aifter that
Is Fastern' Een.
That meen oot,
An the neist meen's hicht,
On the first Sunday aifter that
Is Pess richt.

Can't be any clearer than that, mangerton!

[Serial_Apologist]

If Candlemass be fair and clear
There'll be two winters in the year.

[Padraig]

The Second of February 2016

Biber Mystery Sonatas, 4, The Presentation in the Temple

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQNfsMrAqS8

[vinteuil]

2 February

Ich habe genung, BWV 82

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XopQG0Gjgmo

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

We might feel inclined to give thanks to the devisers of our calendar for allowing us an additional day to this particular month, it being a Leap Year. Or curse them for prolonging the winter by that additional day!

People who receive an annual salary get paid less in leap years.

[vinteuil]

2 February

Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, BWV 125

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KErKnCHniNk

[vinteuil]

2 February

Erfreute Zeit in neuen Bunde, BWV 83

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg1-OwgIdJU