Groundhog Day has been around since 1887, but its traditions go back much further than that. The original Groundhog Day has nothing to do with repeating the same day over and over, but the 1993 Bill Murray movie was such a success that the two are now inextricably linked. So as I try to write something new about Groundhog Day here every year, it becomes more and more like the movie — it seems like I’m just repeating the same thing over and over. But — because it’s Groundhog Day, here’s my annual Groundhog Day blog…..
While we’re on the subject of the movie, the term “Groundhog Day” has become a slang phrase that is widely used in the military. It means a mission with long and repetitive duties that has no end in sight. Soldiers in the Iraq War used it to denote the boredom of daily life in the field, as well as assignments that included endless iteration of the same duties, such as patrols, transport, or guarding dignitaries.
But back to the real Groundhog Day…. which is based on the premise of predicting the weather. The modern Groundhog Day is a variation of weather lore practiced by ancient peoples for thousands of years. The current Groundhog Day ritual is based on a practice brought to America by German immigrants. Of course Groundhog Day activities aren’t based on, or even about, the cold hard truth. They’re about upholding an ancient tradition and celebrating the coming of spring.
I’ve mentioned in previous years the (probable) relationship of Groundhog Day and the Christian holiday Candlemas, which was held on February 2 — 40 days after the traditional birth of Christ. (Rather than repeat even more of this Groundhog Day blog, you can check the previous Years blog entries for Feb 2)
Every year, we discuss Punxsutawney Phil, the Pennsylvania groundhog who can predict if winter will end quickly or linger for six more weeks. Phil is supposedly the same groundhog from year to year, all the way back to 1887. That’s because every seven years, he’s given a magic Elixir of Life — a magic brew that contains a variety of herbs and fruits, ice from Antarctica, and the urine of the Loch Ness Monster.
One Legend has it that during Prohibition, Phil was so upset at not getting any booze, that he threatened the people with a staggering 60 weeks of winter — unless he was allowed to have a drink.
Most groundhogs live in eastern and central United States, although some reside in Canada and even Alaska. They build pretty impressive underground burrows that include multiple “rooms” with different purposes, including a sleeping chamber, a nursery chamber and a waste chamber (a bathroom.) Their burrows can stretch anywhere from 8 to 66 feet long. They spend a good amount of time underground, but they also climb trees — an activity I see often here in Deerfield Village.
So as I indicated yesterday, I’m trying to make the best of February — here’s to the first big celebration of the month. Happy Groundhog Day.
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