Burnt Candlemas
Preserved but no longer current.
The name given by the Scots to the period around Candlemas Day • (<?.v.), 1355-6, when Edward III marched through the Lothians with fire and sword. He burnt to the ground Edinburgh and Haddington, and then retreated through lack of provisions.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Burnt Candlemas” mean?
The name given by the Scots to the period around Candlemas Day • (<?.v.), 1355-6, when Edward III marched through the Lothians with fire and sword. He burnt to the ground Edinburgh and Haddington, and then retreated through lack of provisions.
Is “Burnt Candlemas” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.