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CANDLEMAS WEATHER ORACLE
French (Jura Mountains) · Eastern France / Swiss Jura
“Le jour de la Chandeleur, ours sort de sa tanière. S'il fait beau et qu'il voit son ombre, vite il retourne et six semaines encore gronde l'hiver.”
INTERPRETATION
On Candlemas the bear leaves its den. If it is fine and he sees his shadow, he quickly returns and winter growls for six more weeks. The French bear tradition parallels both the German badger and American groundhog.
RELATED DATE
February 2 — La Chandeleur
Jura Mountains folk tradition, possibly Gaulish in origin