Re-Adorn.

Down with the rosemary and bays,

Down with the misletoe;

Instead of holly, now up-raise

The greener box, for show.

The holly hitherto did sway;

Let box now domineer,

Until the dancing Easter-day,

Or Easter's eve appear.

Then youthful box, which now hath grace

Your houses to renew,

Grown old, surrender must his place

Unto the crisped yew.

When yew is out, then birch comes in,

And many flowers beside,

Both of a fresh and fragrant kin,

To honour Whitsuntide.

Green rushes then, and sweetest bents,

With cooler oaken boughs,

Come in for comely ornaments,

To re-adorn the house.

Thus times do shift; each thing his turn does hold;

New things succeed, as former things grow old.

Robert Herrick

Happy Candlemas.

Thanks, Mum.

Evensong.

Candlemas Evensong from Newcastle Cathedral, London ...

Tallis, Videte miraculum

The Ely Cathedral Choir performs ...

Look.

CEREMONY UPON CANDLEMAS EVE

Down with the rosemary, and so

Down with the bays and misletoe ;

Down with the holly, ivy, all,

Wherewith ye dress'd the Christmas Hall :

That so the superstitious find

No one least branch there left behind :

For look, how many leaves there be

Neglected, there (maids, trust to me)

So many goblins you shall see.

Robert Herrick

Promises.

Wyeth, February 2, 1942, 1942

The hedge-rows cast a shallow shade

      Upon the frozen grass,

      But skies at evening song are soft,

      And comes the Candlemas.

Each day a little later now

      Lingers the westering sun;

      Far out of sight the miracles

      Of April are begun.

O barren bough! O frozen field!

      Hopeless ye wait no more.

      Life keeps her dearest promises—

      The Spring is at the door!

Arthur Ketchum

Up-Raise.

Down with the rosemary and bays,

Down with the misletoe;

Instead of holly, now up-raise

The greener box, for show.

The holly hitherto did sway;

Let box now domineer,

Until the dancing Easter-day,

Or Easter's eve appear.

Then youthful box, which now hath grace

Your houses to renew,

Grown old, surrender must his place

Unto the crisped yew.

When yew is out, then birch comes in,

And many flowers beside,

Both of a fresh and fragrant kin,

To honour Whitsuntide.

Green rushes then, and sweetest bents,

With cooler oaken boughs,

Come in for comely ornaments,

To re-adorn the house.

Thus times do shift; each thing his turn does hold;

New things succeed, as former things grow old.

Robert Herrick

Happy Candlemas.

Thanks, Mum.

Live.

Beewise we gather our wax all year

From bramble sorrow and thistle tear, 

Briar sadness and spine of pain:

Bitter flowers that bloom again! 

But deadest winter brings a day

When thorns have lovelier bloom than May; 

When candles are fashioned and lit by One

Who fashioned her wax to be lit by the Sun, 

Then watched her Candle burn: the price

Of sin-consuming sacrifice. 

Today she shares the Flame anew

To make us priest-and-victim too.

And Mary-mothered flames and Flame

Live their sacrificial Name.

John D. Boyd

Succeed.

Unknown, Burning the Christmas Greens, 1876

DOWN with the ROSEMARY and BAYS

Down with the rosemary and bays,

Down with the mistletow;

Instead of holly now upraise

The greener box for show.

The holly hitherto did sway,

Let box now domineer,

Until the dancing Easter day,

Or Easter's Eve appear.

Then youthful box which now hath grace

Your houses to renew,

Grown old, surrender must his place

Unto the crisped yew.

When yew is out, then birth comes in,

And many flowers beside,

Both of a fresh and fragrant kin,

To honour Whitsuntide.

Green rushes then, and sweetest bents,

With cooler oaken boughs,

Come in for comly ornaments,

To readorn the house.

Thus times do shift;

Each thing his turn doth hold;

New things succeed,

As former things grow old.

Robert Herrick