Six More Weeks or Early Spring?
By Robert L. Thomas, Jr.
It’s been a pretty tough winter. The Midwest was consistently blanketed with snow and frigid temperatures, and the East Coast was cold earlier than usual. I know most of us just can’t wait for this season to pass. But as we move into February, we may see a little reprieve or could potentially have an early spring.
Although February is the shortest month of the year, we always get our hopes high because it is filled with a lot of different events. One of the most significant ones for us is Groundhog Day.
I don’t know which groundhog you follow, but I live in Ohio, close to Pennsylvania, and we follow Punxsutawney Phil every year when he comes out of his little home and predicts whether there will be several more weeks of cold or an early spring.
I’ve often wondered why we even have groundhogs and who came up with the idea that a groundhog could predict the weather. Sometimes, he has been correct and, of course, there have been some years he has been completely off.
As you all have read in past articles, I’m a big history buff, so I did some research. According to The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club website (groundhog.org), the origin of Groundhog Day comes from the Christian religious holiday of Candlemas, which has become most commonly associated with the current celebration. But its roots are older than that.
The celebration started in Christianity as the day (Feb. 2) when Christians would take their candles to the church to have them blessed. This, they felt, “would bring blessings to their household for the remaining winter,” according
to the website.
There are even several songs that highlight the change in weather, including this old English ditty:
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas bring clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.
However, it wasn’t until this traditional belief was introduced to Germany that an animal was brought into the tradition, and if, according to German lore, a hedgehog saw his shadow on Candlemas, there would be a “second winter,” or six more weeks of bad weather.
As German settlers came to the United States, they carried their traditions and folklore with them. Because hedgehogs weren’t abundant in the United States, a similar hibernating animal, the groundhog, was chosen and has continued into today’s traditions.
While sitting indoors avoiding the cold weather in December and thinking about what to write for this column, I chose Groundhog Day because I felt just like Phil — locked in and hibernating due to the inclement and frigid weather.
All I can say is, I hope when we celebrate Groundhog Day, no shadow is seen. I hope everyone stays well and safe, as we anticipate sunnier days and warmer air.
