Happy Groundhog Day

For some reason Groundhog day has always been one of those quirky tidbits embedded permanently in my brain. To me, February 2nd holds that magical place that signals no matter how snowy, muddy, dark or gloomy the winter had been that it is now time to start looking for the signs that the warmer, milder weather is heading our way.

The date of the celebration coincides with the medieval feast of Candlemas, and its pre-Christian predecessor, Imbolc, a day also rich in folklore. An old Scottish prophecy foretells that sunny weather on Candlemas means a long winter. The tradition is recounted in this poem:

As the light grows longer
The cold grows stronger
If Candlemas be fair and bright
Winter will have another flight
If Candlemas be cloud and snow
Winter will be gone and not come again
A farmer should on Candlemas day
Have half his corn and half his hay
On Candlemas day if thorns hang a drop
You can be sure of a good pea crop.

I think the line about half the corn and half the hay refers to what feed is left that had been stored in the barn since last harvest still allowing for enough feed until the next harvest time. But the whole scenario seems backward since a fair and bright February 2nd means more winter weather while an ugly, dark cloudy day means spring is right around the corner, but who can argue with tradition?

And then there is Pennsylvania, who took the idea that a critter could help with the tradition, grabbed a varmint, named him Phil and made him the star of the show.

 In Punxsutawney, 1886 marked the first time that Groundhog Day appeared in the local newspaper. The following year brought the first official trek to Gobbler’s Knob. Each year since then has seen a steady increase in participation of the celebration from people all over the world.

(you could spend hours with more trivia on the subject at groundhog.org and even start your own tradition with a local chapter of your own!)

With all this silliness, I should not be surprised that others took up the challenge and began their own chapters. So if you don’t see a good prognostication from the vermin of your choice there are many others to chose from, or simply grab any old roaming critter and loft him above your head to see if there is a shadow there or not.

Phil may be the most famous, but there are a number of other groundhogs that hold court at celebrations across North America (many of which are holding virtual events in 2022). They include:

• Balzac Billy in Balzac, Alberta, Canada
• Buckeye Chuck in Ohio
• Dunkirk Dave in Dunkirk, New York
• Gary the Groundhog in Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada
• General Beauregard Lee in Atlanta, Georgia
• Holtsville Hal, Suffolk County, Long Island, N.Y.
• Jimmy the Groundhog in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
• Malverne Mel and Melissa in Malverne, New York
• Octoraro Orphie in Quarryville, Pennsylvania
• Pardon Me Pete in Tampa, Florida
• Shubenacadie Sam in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia, Canada
• Sir Walter Wally in Raleigh, N.C.,
• Spanish Joe of Spanish, Ontario
• Staten Island Chuck in New York City
• Wiarton Willie in Wiarton, Ontario, Canada