Well, here it is again — as Yogi Berra would probably say, Groundhog Day is like Deja vu all over again. Since it seems like we’ve only seen the sun around here for about five minutes in 2017, you’d think there’s almost no chance the groundhog would see his shadow and we’ll have an early spring. But, you never know…
As we talk about here every year, the official groundhog is Punxsutawney Phil and he lives at Gobbler’s Knob near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Groundhog Day isn’t a public holiday in the United States, but it is an “observance.”
Punxsutawney held the first Groundhog Day in the United States in the 1800s, and the first official trek to Gobbler’s Knob was made on February 2, 1887. Punxsutawney Phil was supposedly named after King Philip. Before he was named Phil, he was called Br’er Groundhog.
Groundhog Day was always weather related until the movie “Groundhog Day” became famous. The film’s plot added a new meaning to “Groundhog Day” as something that repeats itself endlessly.
Groundhog Day coincides with Candlemas — a Christian holiday — also celebrated on February 2. (If you’re interested in Candlemas, you can check this blog’s archives. It was the subject of an entry several years back.)
Even though Candlemas Day is a religious “holiday,” it has long been associated with the weather/seasons just as Groundhog Day has in later years. An old rhyme goes…
If Candlemas Day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another fight;
But if Candlemas Day be clouds and rain,
Winter is gone, and will not come again.
So we’ll see what Phil has to say today… of course the problem with all weather forecasting is that it’s right too often to ignore it and wrong too often to rely on it.
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