February 1 is a holy and sacred day in many cultures and religions. This year, it will also be the day of the February full moon—the Snow Moon. For your information, sunset on this day will be at 5:01 p.m. – the first sunset of the year after 5 p.m., and the beginning of a well-deserved return to light for Montrealers who work nine-to-five (from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
February 1 and the return of light
Among the ancient Celts, a festival called Imbolc was celebrated on February 1 to mark the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. In the Catholic religion, it is the feast of Candlemas and Saint Brigid.
Both holidays celebrate the very first signs of spring, light, and fertility. It’s the day to light the candles we received during the end-of-year office parties.
February 2, 1938: The congregation at a Candlemas service in Westminster Abbey, London. (Photo by A. Hudson/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)
December 21 was the winter solstice—the longest night of the year. The winter solstice is an astronomical event caused by the tilt of the Earth’s axis relative to the planet’s orbit around the sun. From the equinox (September 22) to the winter solstice (December 21), the northern hemisphere—which includes Canada—is farther from the sun’s warm rays than at any other time of the year.
We get less sun, and the days get shorter and colder (very quickly this year,brrrrr…). The nights get longer, until the longest night of the year, which is the night of the solstice. After this loooong night, the hours of sunlight get longer.
Thanks to the Earth’s axis as it travels around the sun, after the solstice, the axis favors us and brings us more and more light. This week, we gain almost 2 minutes of sunlight per day thanks to earlier sunsets and later sunrises…
The sun will set later and later
On February 1, 2026, the sun will set at 5:01 p.m. – and from then on, it will set later and later in Montreal until the summer solstice on June 20, 2026.
The spring equinox (when day and night are of equal length) will be on March 20, 2026.
Havea wonderful winter! And enjoy the sunshine!