I don’t follow Punxsutawney Phil too closely but tomorrow, February 2nd, is his big day! My understanding is the rodent has had a 40% accuracy rate over the past decade. Not very impressive. However, it does give people another reason to celebrate during the winter months. I did a little research and it turns out Groundhog day has gone through a few iterations to be where it is presently.
The history of groundhog day
It started back in Europe, a Christian Holiday called Candlemas Day – but the tradition goes even beyond that. But it was Candlemas Day where individuals would go to the Church to have their candles blessed in hopes of bringing blessings home for the remainder of winter.
As we advance to the present, Candlemas took on an affinity to predicting weather. There is an English folk tune that perhaps best highlights this transition:
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.
Enter the hedgehog
This new interpretation of Candlemas Day became the norm for most of Europe and it wasn’t until this traditional belief was introduced to Germany we see another iteration. It was then that a critter became involved in the the February 2nd observance. A hedgehog. If the hedgehog saw his shadow on February 2nd, there would be a ‘second’ winter – six more weeks.
And now we have the groundhog
As German settlers arrived in what is now the United States, they brought their traditions and lore with them. One problem. There were no hedgehogs in the land so another hibernating rodent was selected for the duty. Enter the groundhog – or as we in Minnesota know it, the woodchuck. Other names the groundhog goes by is whistle pig and land beaver. Regardless, we are talking about Punxsutawney Phil.
It was 1886 that Punxsutawney was first mentioned in the local newspaper and from there we are brought up to the present of a long-standing annual celebration.
I don’t have any photos of wood chucks to share with you though I’ve seen many. What I do know about them is they can deliver a wicked bite! Bender keeps them off the property for the most part. I appreciate his efforts as I wouldn’t want him to tangle with one.
It doesn’t seem right not having a groundhog photo in my post so I am going to publish one from National Geographic.
Closing
I guess they are cute . . . sort of.
I hope you found this post interesting. Now you can share with your friends tomorrow all you know about Groundhog Day! If you are looking for a great photo of a ground hog, I can’t help you. However, I have some amazing photos of birds, scenic views of Minnesota, flowers, insects and even a few critters at RedBarnProject.com. Come on over and check them out! Contact me here if you have any questions.
