Well, we made it through January pretty much in one piece \u2014 now we need to get through February. Lots of events in February, starting with today \u2014 Groundhog Day. This will be our first Groundhog Day of the pandemic. Little did we think last year at this time that Punxsutawney Phil would have to see his shadow virtually in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
February 2 is also Candlemas that commemorates the ritual purification of Mary, 40 days after the birth of her son Jesus. The day also marks the ritual presentation of the baby Jesus to God in the Temple at Jerusalem. Candlemas was formerly known in the Roman Catholic Church as the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary \u2014 it is now known as the Presentation of the Lord.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Dachs were German-speaking immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania. They developed their own take on the legend of Candlemas in the 18th and 19th centuries bringing with them the custom of weather forecasting using a Hedgehog\u2026. giving rise to the problem there are no hedgehogs in Pennsylvania \u2014 so, they substituted a groundhog. Candlemas was when the clergy blessed and distributed candles needed for winter. The Dachs came up with the idea of selecting an animal to predict how many candles they would need for the winter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first ever \u201cGroundhog Day\u201d was created by a local newspaper editor, Clymer Freas, around 1886. He convinced a local groundhog hunter and businessman, and all members of his Punxsutawney Groundhog club, that Groundhog Day was a good idea. Together, they all made their way to Gobbler\u2019s Knob where the groundhog would make the final decision on the weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
February 2 is when we ask are if we are in for six more weeks of winter \u2014 of course, only a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil knows the answer. Every year, people flock to Gobbler\u2019s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to await Phi;\u2019s forecast.\u00a0But \u2014 the coronavirus has forced us to change the way we celebrate holidays and Groundhog Day is no exception.
Punxsutawney Phil will still make an appearance this year, but it will be virtual. There will not be any in-person attendance or guests on the grounds because the potential COVID risks are too great.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just about all our Christmas decorations have been taken down \u2014 that may be good luck or bad luck, depending on how you view February 2. One school of thought is that it\u2019s supposed to be bad luck to leave you Christmas decorations up after Groundhog Day. And \u2014 there\u2019s another group that says any Christmas decorations not taken down by Twelfth Night (January 5th) should be left up until Candlemas Day and then taken down. So I\u2019m not sure where we fit into this \u2014 but no matter,\u00a0 today is Phil\u2019s day\u2026 even though he\u2019s like most other prophets \u2014 he delivers his prediction and then disappears. Happy Groundhog Day!
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Well, we made it through January pretty much in one piece \u2014 now we need to get through February. Lots of events in February, starting with today \u2014 Groundhog Day. This will be our first Groundhog Day of the pandemic. … Continue reading