Candlesnap

Yes, this is a season, albeit short, here in Newfoundland.

It starts on February 2nd, which is Candlemas Day – which is celebrated here with a:

“CANDLEMAS CAKE - Type of sweetened bread baked for a card and rum party, according to the Dictionary of Newfoundland English.”

“Candlesnap?” I asked, delighted, as usual, with finding both a new word to add to my own personal lexicon and to show off at the first opportunity.

“Well actually,” said Joyce,”It’s Candlemas Snap. Weather that starts on Candlemas Day. And it doesn’t change for the whole two weeks.”

So now we’re in Candlesnap. And the weather hasn’t changed in 3 days. It would freeze the proverbial brass naughty bits off a monkey.

It’s a rare thing for me - long john weather. I feel like Michelin Man as I brave the elements with the Wonder Dog. There are Bella Carters spreading in all directions on the bay. The dog, thrilled at this new pavement formation, landed with exuberance on them today and her look of shock as her paws went everywhere made me double up laughing. I was bemoaning the fact I didn’t have a camera with me. Tomorrow I hope to get some shots of this extraordinary sight.

And I’ll monitor the weather with interest this season of Candlesnap.

It is currently -11C.

Bella Carter

That’s what the man said as we looked out over the sparkling bay. He pointed at these odd ice formations which looked for all the world like paving stones, piled up on the shore line.

“These are called Bella Carters,” he said.

“Bella Carters?” I said, the word being new to me, a mere CFA, always captivated by the wonderful words I hear around me at the edge of the Atlantic in Newfoundland. “Can you spell it?”


“Well,” he said slowly, he always speaks to me slowly as if I’m a rather dimwitted child, “I never did have to write it down but that’s what my daddy called them, and his daddy before him.”

I fell upon my dictionary once I came home. The Dictionary of Newfoundland English. Previously written about here. No Bella Carter listed. But under bellycater it says go to ballicatter. Which I do. In my slow-witted way.

And oh my, it gets a whole half page of space, this word.

And here’s the meaning I’m looking for:

“a narrow band of ice, formed in winter in the saltwater along the foreshore or landwash. Large slabs, chunks and fragments of this ice after break-up.”

And I attempted, with the photo, to give you an up close and personal look at Bella Carter.

Isn’t she gorgeous?