Around the time of the event, young children would sing English rhymes regarding the celebration:. The German tradition added its own little twist to the superstition revolving around the celebration, which was believed to have been passed down to the German people by Roman conquerors.
They would present a hedgehog to help determine the weather conditions. If the day was clear and sunny, the hedgehog would emerge to find his shadow and the prediction of a long or secondary winter would be proclaimed.
However, if the hedgehog emerged for the celebration on a cloudy day, he would not see his shadow, and the prediction would be that spring would come soon. As settlers began to travel to seek a new life in the New World, the area of Pennsylvania saw a large influx of German settlers during the late 19th century. The new residents brought with them the old traditions, though with a lack of hedgehogs in the area.
The new tradition was switched to a groundhog, an animal they were more likely to find in their new home. It was The Punxsutawney Spirit, a local newspaper in the Pennsylvania area that help set the roots for what the United States observes as Groundhog Day today.
With celebrations growing each year, the annual tradition has now turned into a celebrity-studded event that makes Groundhog Day a much-anticipated event in Punxsutawney. Some of the special commemorations that have occurred during the Groundhog Day observance include:. But the mischief-maker is not all nuisance. Its burrows allow air and water to penetrate the soil and, when abandoned, they become homes for opossums and other small animals.
The groundhog itself serves as food for larger creatures, such as bobcats, foxes, and wolves. With hungry predators on the prowl, it takes courage for a groundhog to emerge from its hole every February to make its forecast.
It must take its job very seriously! Photo by Brain E. The word you use is more of a reflection of where you live. The word comes from a Native American word. What do you call it? Six more weeks of Winter or 42 days until Spring. Figured that one out when I was younger Haven't figured out yet why the movie portrays repetition though Paula, thank you for the information about removing the Christmas decorations and tree. I had known about having all greenery taken down by Epiphany January 6 , but didn't know about February 2 as the last chance although I sometimes didn't get everything down until close to that date!
Also, since , when my grandson was born on February 2, I make an even bigger deal of it. Jon was ecstatic when we told him it was a "holiday", when he was about 3 years old. He goes around bragging that his birthday is on Groundhog Day! There is a longstanding tradition connected to Candlemas. Although it is customary to take down the Christmas tree and other decorations following the festivities of Twelfth Night, that is, the 12th Day of Christmas Jan 5 or Eve of Epiphany, if you don't do so at that time, you're supposed to leave them up until your second - and last!
Thanks for the reminder of the date. The problem with modern day Groundhog Day is that the animals they are using are basically domesticated. I have a groundhog in my yard, he lives in a hollow tree trunk, observing him or her over the years - he doesn't emerge from his burrow until there is at the least a couple crocus flowers for him to munch on. Never seen him in the cold weather at all. Which makes me wonder why Groundhogs Day is in February, it's not natural to them. Half the time the Predicting Groundhogs run back into there enclosure because there are too many people and noise, not because he saw his shadow.
I have been searching for the answer, to no avail. Why do we need a groundhog for the forcast on feb 2? Do not we all see our shadows on a sunny day? How does the groundhog contributes to the forcast if it is based solemnly on the cloudness of tbe day? Hi Helen, Groundhog Day today is a bit of folk humor, not to be taken seriously.
It may be that the animal is frightened by its shadow and, thus, retreats back inside. Ground Hogs Day is my favorite holiday. The History The Christian religious holiday of Candlemas Day has become most commonly associated with the current celebration, but it's roots are older than that.
The celebration started in Christianity as the day, February 2nd , when Christians would take their candles to the church to have them blessed. This, they felt, would bring blessings to their household for the remaining winter. As time rolled on the day evolved into another form. The following English folk song highlights the transition to weather prognostication. If Candlemas be fair and bright, Come, Winter, have another flight; If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Go Winter, and come not again.
As you can read, there is no mention of an animal of any kind in the preceding song. It wasn't until this traditional belief was introduced to Germany that an animal was introduced into the lore, hence another evolution of February 2nd.
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