Midwinter warmth from the heart of the hearth

As January folds into February, we come to a quiet hinge in the wheel of the year: Candlemas, the midway point between winter solstice and spring equinox. The light returns, little by little, but the nights are still long, and the wind still cold.

It’s a time to warm your home from the inside out, not with busyness, but with intention. With flame and flour, lard and light.

This is the work of the Candlemas kitchen:
Soft wax and soft butter, bread rising slow, and lanterns casting golden light onto snowbanks outside.

Bake the Light In

There’s old folklore that says if the sun shines on Candlemas Day, winter will linger, but if skies are gray, spring comes sooner. Whether or not you believe it, there’s truth in the practice of inviting warmth through your baking.

Some lovely ways to honor the day:

• Lard biscuits in a cast iron skillet
• Homemade butter, churned slow or shaken in a jar
• Bread bowls to cradle a winter stew (recipe here)
• Seeded loaves as a prayer for spring’s planting

In many traditions, Candlemas bread was made round, golden, and rich, shaped like the returning sun. Whether you bake yours with lard, tallow, or butter, it’s not about perfection, it’s about presence.

Crafting with Wax

Candles are central to this day, symbolizing both spiritual clarity and the physical light growing each day. Creating your own is a soul-satisfying act: simple, tactile, timeless.

• Try a natural beeswax candle-making kit (like this one) with earthy hues
• Shape hand-rolled tapers as you set your intentions
• Let the scent of beeswax bless your kitchen

And when it’s time to light them, let them burn from sundown to sleep or place them in a wrought iron candle holder like this hand-forged piece for an extra sense of grounding.

A Table Set for Blessing

You don’t need a feast. You just need warmth.

• Fresh bread
• Melted butter
• A lit candle
• A moment of quiet

This is how we bless the home: with food made slowly, wax poured by hand, light kindled not just on the wick but in the spirit.

More Than a Marker

Candlemas isn’t a holiday for most. But it’s still a turning, a chance to pause, nourish, and renew.

To remember that winter is not just something to endure,
It’s something to tend.

So keep your kitchen slow. Keep your loaves simple. Keep the candles burning.

And may the light find you, even in February.

— Jenny