(Adapted from "Groundhog Day: 1886 to 1992" by Bill Anderson)
Groundhog Day, February 2nd, is a popular tradition in the United States. It is also a legend that traverses centuries, its origins clouded in the mists of time with ethnic cultures and animals awakening on specific dates. Myths such as this tie our present to the distant past when nature did, indeed, influence our lives. It is the day that the Groundhog comes out of his hole after a long winter sleep to look for his shadow.
If he sees it, he regards it as an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his hole.
If the day is cloudy and, hence, shadowless, he takes it as a sign of spring and stays above ground.
The groundhog tradition stems from similar beliefs associated with Candlemas Day and the days of early Christians in Europe, and for centuries the custom was to have the clergy bless candles and distribute them to the people. Even then, it marked a milestone in the winter and the weather that day was important.
According to an old English song:
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.
According to an old Scotch couplet:
If Candlemas Day is bright and clear,
There'll be twa (two) winters in the year.
Another variation of the Scottish rhyme:
If Candlemas day be dry and fair,
The half o' winter to come and mair,
If Candlemas day be wet and foul,
The half of winter's gone at Yule.
The Roman legions, during the conquest of the northern country, supposedly brought this tradition to the Teutons, or Germans, who picked it up and concluded that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, an animal, the hedgehog, would cast a shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of bad weather, which they interpolated as the length of the "Second Winter."
Pennsylvania's earliest settlers were Germans and they found groundhogs to in profusion in many parts of the state. They determined that the groundhog, resembling the European hedgehog, was a most intelligent and sensible animal and therefore decided that if the sun did appear on February 2nd, so wise an animal as the groundhog would see its shadow and hurry back into its underground home for another six weeks of winter.
The Germans recited:
For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day,
So far will the snow swirl until the May.
This passage may be the one most closely represented by the first Punxsutawney Groundhog Day observances because there were references to the length of shadows in early Groundhog Day predictions.
Another February 2nd belief, used by American 19th century farmers, was:
Groundhog Day - Half your hay.
New England farmers knew that we were not close to the end of winter, no matter how cloudy February 2nd was. Indeed, February 2nd is often the heart of winter. If the farmer didn't have half his hay remaining, there may have been lean times for the cows before spring and fresh grass arrived.
The ancient Candlemas legend and similar belief continue to be recognized annually
on February 2nd.
Punxsutawney
Phil.com - PunxsutawneyPhil.com was created by Punxsutawney native Alan
Freed and the staff of OnTV, Pittsburgh. The site features an extensive sight
and sound gallery, groundhogese translator, online postcards and more.
Jimmy
the Groundhog - Jimmy the Groundhog is the OFFICIAL Groundhog from the
one and only OFFICIAL Groundhog Capital of the World! Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
Wiarton
Willie - Wee Willie, like his ancestor before him, is no ordinary groundhog!
He is an albino groundhog, with white fur and pink eyes. Canada's Favorite
Groundhog, the site is in both English and French.
Yellow
River Game Ranch - Home to General Beauregard Lee, Official Weather Prognosticator
of the Great State of Georgia. Awakening on the Thirty-Third Day of the Millennium,
General Beauregard Lee will emerge from His Official Mansion on His National
Holiday, Groundhog Day. The Twentieth Celebration of this anxiously awaited
appearance, invites Beau Boosters to encourage him in his singular quest for
his shadow.
Dunkirk
Dave - Take a moment to learn about groundhogs... Have
a look at Dave's Family Photo Album... Sign Dave's Guestbook and let us know
you've been here... Then use our Groundhog Junction page to find other
groundhog sites on the WWW!
Tennessee
Groundhog - UPCHUCK, INC. is an organization dedicated to the commercialization
of Groundhog Day in Silver Point, Tennessee. They were founded in 1979. The
work's been slow but sure and they press on, tired of that Phil guy.
PeeWee,
the Woodchuck - We all work hard here in Vermont, especially us woodchucks.
In case you're from away, I should explain that a woodchuck goes by lots of
names in the United States. In Pennsylvania, I've got a cousin named Punxsutawney
Phil who's called a Groundhog. We 're getting ready to celebrate my favorite
holiday of the year on February 2nd here at the Farm: Groundhog Day!
Groundhogs
At Hog Haven - This den on the Web is dedicated to Groundhog lovers everywhere.
Here you will find Groundhogs (a/k/a Woodchucks) that live near Lums Pond
State Park. Lums Pond is located near the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in
Bear, Delaware (US).
Punxsutawney,
Pennsylvania - Home of the Groundhog - Where on Feb. 2nd, 1998, a crowd
of 20,000 people gathered to see Punxsutawney Phil. Punxsutawney Historical
and Genealogical Society page created by Marc & Becky Weimer. History
and a snappy tune!
