Well here it is the second of February already and time for my annual Groundhog Day Blog.
On this date every year the townsfolk in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania gather in Gobbler’s Knob to watch as a furry marmot is plucked from his burrow to predict the weather for the rest of the winter.
Some people get confused about what it means if the groundhog sees his shadow — or doesn’t. According to folklore if Phil (the groundhog) does see his shadow (meaning the Sun is shining, I guess) winter will not end early, and we’ll have 6 more weeks of it. If Phil (the groundhog) doesn’t see his shadow (cloudy, I guess) we’ll have an early spring.
Members of Punxsutawney Phil’s “inner circle” claim his predictions are 100% accurate. However that claim isn’t 100% accurate. According to sources that track these sorts of things, the accuracy number is more like 39%.
Before Punxsutawney Phil came into vogue, people relied on the Old Farmers’ Almanac for their weather predictions. The Farmers’ Almanac uses a mathematical and astronomical formula to make their long-range weather predictions — not, as they say, folklore. People that are fans of the Almanac say their weather forecasts are accurate 80-85% of the time. So apparently division of opinions exists in weather forecasting as well as politics.
Whether you’re a fan of Phil, or not, over the years he has gained respect and we celebrate a “holiday” that’s stuck around for more than a century.
The date of the celebration coincides with the medieval feast of Candlemas and its pre-Christian predecessor —Imbolc.(Imbolc is also called Saint Brigid’s Day and is a Gaelic traditional festival. It marks the beginning of spring and for Christians it is the feast day of Saint Brigid, Ireland’s patroness saint.)
An old Scottish prophecy ties Candlemas to the weather….
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
Even though Punxsutawney Phil is the focal point of the oldest and largest annual Groundhog Day celebration, there are other celebrations and other groundhogs….
West Virginia has their own famous groundhog — French Creek Freddie. In case you want to attend sometime, French Creek is between Hacker Valley (Webster Countty) and Buckhannon (Upshur County.) It is the location of the WV Wildlife Center.
So no matter what the weather, spring will officially arrive with the Vernal Equinox on March 20, 2023 at 5.24 pm EST.
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