Groundhog Day

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

The groundhog (Marmota monax)is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots.

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.

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

1. ^ Exploring Celtic Druidism: Ancient Magick and Rituals for Personal Empowerment By Sirona Knight. Page 20.
2. ^ All Around the Year: Holidays and Celebrations in American Life By Jack Santino. Page 58.
3. ^ http://www.groundhog.org/history/tradition.shtml
4. ^ http://www.gojp.com/groundhog/shadow.html
5. ^ thecanadianencyclopedia
6. ^ 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

• History of Groundhog Day
• Groundhog Day History
• Groundhog Day and Gardening A gardener's reflections on Groundhog Day.
• Collection of links to websites about Groundhog Day
• A Collection of Groundhog Crossing Videos Pennsylvania's most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil crosses Americapdc:Grundsaudaag

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