Bear Day (Candlemas)
2 February 2026 — Oh, is that my shadow? Back to bed for a little more sleep!
On 2 February, Romania marks Bear Day (Ziua Ursului), a folk custom that coincides with Candlemas, the Christian feast held forty days after Christmas. According to tradition, the bear wakes from its winter sleep and leaves its den on this day. If it sees its shadow, it goes back to sleep, because winter will last another six weeks. If the day is cloudy and there is no shadow, spring will come early. Similar beliefs exist elsewhere: in North America it is known as Groundhog Day, and in parts of Western Europe the hedgehog or the badger plays the same role. The date lies roughly halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, so since ancient times it has been tied to the hope of spring. The folk calendar thus follows the slow return of light, and the sky and the weather are read as signs of coming change.
Flying across the sky: An ethereal, bluish-silver bear made of luminous dots and fine connecting lines, like a constellation drifting across the night sky
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