Yesterday, I noticed the snowdrops are just beginning to appear in the garden.
They are sometimes known as Candlemas Bells because they bloom so early in the
year, even before Candlemas in the northern hemisphere. Superstitious rumours
were at one time murmured by old folk, that it was bad luck to bring snowdrops into
the house before Candlemas. But it was also believed that these graceful little white
flowers purify.
An Angel is said to have helped the Candlemas Bells to bloom as a sign of
hope for Eve, who wept in despair at the coldness that had entered the world.
Christians see this flower, the first image of spring, as a symbol of Jesus Christ,
bringing hope to the world after the frosty darkness of winter. Candles that
are blessed and lit during Candlemas symbolize Jesus as the ' light of the world.'
The light of Christ is come into the world