| Groundhog Day |
 |
| Groundhog Day 2005 in Punxsutawney |
| Observed by |
United States and Canada |
| Type |
Cultural |
| Significance |
Whether the groundhog sees its shadow determines how much longer winter will last. |
| Date |
February 2nd |
| Celebrations |
Observing a groundhog emerging from its burrow and seeing whether it sees its shadow |
Groundhog Day or Groundhog's Day is a traditional holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada on February
2. It was originally a cross-quarter day, midway between the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox. However,
before the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar, precession caused the cross-quarter day to drift to a later date. Groundhog day now falls four
days before the cross-quarter day.
In traditional weather lore, if a groundhog emerges
from its burrow on this day and fails to see its shadow because the weather is cloudy,
winter will soon end. If the groundhog sees its shadow because the weather is bright and clear,
it will be frightened and run back into its hole, and the winter will continue for six more weeks.
History
Tradition beginnings
Around the fifth century, the European Celts believed that animals had certain supernatural powers on special days that were
half-way between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox.[1]
Folklore from Europe indicated that when certain animals, such as marmots and bears, came out of their winter dens too early, they were frightened by their shadow and retreated
back inside for four to six weeks.[2]
American traditional origins
The earliest known American reference to Groundhog Day can be found at the Historical Society of Berks County in
Reading, Pennsylvania. The reference was made Feb. 4, 1841 in Morgantown, Berks County, Pennsylvania storekeeper James Morris' diary: "Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which,
according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six
weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate."
In the United States the tradition derives from a Scottish poem:
- 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 rain
- 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
This tradition also stems from similar beliefs associated with Candlemas Day[3] and Groundhog Day. Candlemas, also known as the Purification of the Virgin or the Presentation, coincides with the earlier
pagan observance Imbolc.
Alternative origin theories
In western countries in the Northern Hemisphere the official first day of Spring is
about six weeks after Groundhog Day, on March 20 or 21. About 1,000 years ago, before the adoption of the Gregorian calendar when the date of the equinox
drifted in the Julian calendar, the spring equinox fell on March 16 instead. This was
exactly six weeks after February 2. Assuming that the equinox marked the first day of spring in certain medieval cultures, as it does now in western countries, Groundhog Day occurred exactly six weeks before
spring. Therefore, if the groundhog saw his shadow on Groundhog Day there would be six more weeks of winter. If he didn't, there
would be 42 more days of winter. In other words, the Groundhog Day tradition may have begun as a bit of folk humor.
Alternatively, the custom could have been a folk embodiment of the confusion created by the collision of two calendrical
systems. Some ancient traditions marked the change of season at cross-quarter days
such as Imbolc when daylight first makes significant progress against the night. Other traditions
held that Spring did not begin until the length of daylight overtook night at the
Vernal Equinox. So an arbiter, the groundhog / hedgehog, was incorporated as a
yearly custom to settle the two traditions. Sometimes Spring begins at Imbolc, and sometimes Winter lasts 6 more weeks until the Equinox.
Famous prognosticators and predictions
As stated earlier, a shadow of Punxsutawney Phil means six more weeks of winter and no shadow means spring is around the
corner.[4] Groundhog Day proponents state that the rodents'
forecasts are accurate 75% to 90%. A Canadian study for 13 cities in the past 30 to 40 years puts success rate level at
37%.[5] Also, the National Climatic Data Center reportedly has stated that the overall predictions accuracy
rate is around 39%.[6] Random
chance at a correct guess would be about 33%.
What follow is a record of the various dates accompanied by several of the most famous marmot
predictions.
| Date |
Prediction |
Groundhog |
| 2007 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Jimmy the Groundhog |
| 2007 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Holtsville Hal |
| 2007 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Dunkirk Dave |
| 2007 |
Early Spring |
Punxsutawney Phil |
| 2007 |
Early Spring |
Staten Island Chuck |
| 2007 |
Early Spring |
Wiarton Willie |
| 2007 |
Early Spring |
Shubenacadie Sam |
| 2007 |
Early Spring |
General Beauregard Lee |
| 2007 |
Early Spring |
Malverne Mel |
| 2007 |
Early Spring |
Buckeye Chuck |
| 2007 |
Early Spring |
Spanish Joe |
| 2007 |
Early Spring |
Sir Walter Wally |
| 2006 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Dunkirk Dave |
| 2006 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Punxsutawney Phil |
| 2006 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Buckeye Chuck |
| 2006 |
Early Spring |
Spanish Joe |
| 2006 |
Early Spring |
Wiarton Willie |
| 2006 |
Early Spring |
General Beauregard Lee |
| 2006 |
Early Spring |
Staten Island Chuck |
| 2006 |
Early Spring |
Shubenacadie Sam |
| 2006 |
Early Spring |
Jimmy the Groundhog |
| 2006 |
Early Spring |
Malverne Mel |
| 2006 |
Early Spring |
French Creek Freddie |
| 2005 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Dunkirk Dave |
| 2005 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Punxsutawney Phil |
| 2005 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Shubenacadie Sam |
| 2005 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Spanish Joe |
| 2005 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Octorara Orphie |
| 2005 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Malverne Mel |
| 2005 |
Early Spring |
Wiarton Willie |
| 2005 |
Early Spring |
Jimmy the Groundhog |
| 2005 |
Early Spring |
General Beauregard Lee |
| 2005 |
Early Spring |
Balzac Billy |
| 2005 |
Early Spring |
Staten Island Chuck |
| 2004 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Punxsutawney Phil |
| 2004 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Dunkirk Dave |
| 2004 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Wiarton Willie |
| 2004 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Spanish Joe |
| 2004 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Balzac Billy |
| 2004 |
6 more weeks of winter |
General Beauregard Lee |
| 2004 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Malverne Mel |
| 2003 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Punxsutawney Phil |
| 2003 |
Early Spring |
Dunkirk Dave |
| 2003 |
Early Spring |
Spanish Joe |
| 2002 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Dunkirk Dave |
| 2002 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Punxsutawney Phil |
| 2002 |
Early Spring |
Spanish Joe |
| 2001 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Punxsutawney Phil |
| 2001 |
Early Spring |
Dunkirk Dave |
| 2001 |
Early Spring |
Spanish Joe |
| 2000 |
6 more weeks of winter |
Punxsutawney Phil |
| 2000 |
Early Spring |
Spanish Joe |
| 1999 |
Early Spring |
Punxsutawney Phil |
| 1999 |
Early Spring |
Spanish Joe |
|
| Famous groundhogs |
- Punxsutawney Phil found in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
- Wiarton Willie found in Wiarton,
Ontario
- Staten Island Chuck found in New York City, New
York
- General Beauregard Lee, PhD found in Atlanta, Georgia
- Malverne Mel and Malverne Melissa found in Malverne, New York
- Brandon Bob of Brandon, Manitoba
- Balzac Billy of Balzac, Alberta
- Shubenacadie Sam of Shubenacadie, Nova
Scotia
- Gary the Groundhog of Kleinburg, Ontario
- Spanish Joe of Spanish, Ontario
- Sir Walter Wally of Raleigh, North
Carolina
- Pardon Me Pete of Tampa, Florida
- Jimmy the Groundhog of Sun Prairie,
Wisconsin
- Octoraro Orphie of Quarryville,
Pennsylvania
- Note: More profile of
many other prognosticating groundhogs are available at about.com.
|
|
In fiction
At the end of Disney's 1930 Silly Symphony Winter, a Mr. Groundhog the Weather Prophet comes out of his hole to determine whether
or not there will be more winter. At first, he does not see his shadow, but the clouds clear and his shadow appears, causing him
to run back inside. At this point, the winds picks up again and winter continues. In the 1979 Rankin-Bass Christmas TV special
Jack Frost, a crucial plot point in the story involves Jack casting his own shadow on Groundhog Day for six more weeks of
winter. At the end of the story it is revealed that the narrator (voiced by Buddy Hackett)
is the groundhog.
The 1993 comedy movie Groundhog Day takes
place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on this day (although the majority of the
movie was actually filmed in Woodstock, Illinois). The main character (played by
Bill Murray) is forced to relive the day over and over again until he can learn to give up
his selfishness and become a better person. The movie consistently rates among the IMDB's Top 250 movies as voted by users.
Also in the As Told By Ginger episode "Next Question" Carl and Hoodsey liberate the
towns Groundhog so they could sell scarfs remembering their Groundhog,Pete.When the matter is investigated,a monkey Mr.Licorice
is in the hole,and people think that he ate Pete.
On January 9 2006, the Pennsylvania Tourism Office presented installments of the
Groundhog 202 film series, a Groundhog Day
promotion that played off The Shining. The film shows what happens when the
groundhog, stuck inside for 364 days, goes mad with cabin fever. On January 11 2007, the Pennsylvania Tourism Office presented installments of the Groundhog Crossing film
series, a Groundhog Day promotion that
depicted the departure of the Shadow from his friend the Groundhog in an attempt to stop the cycle of winter predictions.
Similar Customs
In Germany the 27th of June is "Siebenschläfertag" (Seven Sleepers Day). If it rains that day, the rest of summer is
supposedly going to be rainy. While it might seem it refers to the "Siebenschläfer" squirrel (Glis Glis), it actually commemorates the Seven Sleepers (the
actual commemoration day is July 25).
References
- ^ Exploring Celtic Druidism: Ancient Magick and Rituals for Personal
Empowerment By Sirona Knight. Page 20.
- ^ All Around the Year: Holidays and Celebrations in American Life By Jack
Santino. Page 58.
- ^ http://www.groundhog.org/history/tradition.shtml
- ^ http://www.gojp.com/groundhog/shadow.html
- ^ thecanadianencyclopedia
- ^ http://www.petloveshack.com/groundhog.html
Further reading
- Michael A. Aaron, Brewster B. Boyd, Jr., Melanie J. Curtis, Paul M. Sommers, Punxsutawney's Phenomenal Phorecaster. The College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 32, No. 1 (Jan., 2001), pp. 26-29
doi 10.2307/2687216
- Cohen, H., & Coffin, T. P. (1987). The Folklore of American holidays. Detroit, Mich: Gale Research Co.
- Old, W. C., & Billin-Frye, P. (2004). The Groundhog Day book of facts and fun. Morton Grove, Ill: Albert Whitman &
Company.
- Pulling, A. F. (2001). Around Punxsutawney. Images of America. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia.
Don Yoder, Groundhog Day, Stackpole Books, 2003
External links
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