This morning I came across a great story entitled “Why Do We Celebrate Groundhog Day?” on the “Mother Nature Network” website. I recommend it.
The subtitle of the story states, “Before we received weather reports from rodents and life lessons from time loops, Groundhog Day evolved for centuries into the bizarre holiday it is today.” Yes! Absolutely!
The article summarizes the roots of the Groundhog Day tradition in such diverse places and events as the Christian festival of Candlemas (which is also celebrated on February 2nd), the pagan Celtic festival of Imbolic (celebrated on February 1st), traditional German legends, and a creative PR man who was City Editor of the Punxsutawny, Pennsylvania newspaper in the 1880s. Fascinating!
Apparently there is some logical basis for the Groundhog’s criteria for predicting the weather. On the other hand, Punxsutawney Phil, the Head Groundhog Prognosticator, is right less than 50% of the time. Go figure.
In the interest of promoting positive public dialogue on matters of great concern or interest to the world (or at least, to me), I reprint some selected comments, in the hope that they may convey the true wonder of Groundhog Day to those who have yet to experience that “Gobblers Nob” moment, who may not yet be in touch with their “Inner Groundhog.” Happy Groundhog Day, Everyone!
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- I think the groundhog tradition is silly and thoroughly enjoyable.
- (Optimist) Good News Everyone. It made my day to read something light this morning - when all around the world there is so much turmoil and issue - I'm glad they did something to try to give us a smile.
- True or not, I love it - let us have fun!!Groundhog Day, the movie, had it all. Love, comedy, magic, hopelessness, redemption. I've seen it 20 or more times by now.
- (Ground Hog Lover) Best part of Ground Hog's Day: It's my birthday!
- Happy Birthday. May your groundhog be shadowless.
- February 2 has long been a Holy-Day. February 2 is the 40th day after the Nativity of Jesus, and commemorates the day He was brought into the temple for the first time… Candlemas actually commemorates that...
- (Dragonness) Holiday? Since when is Groundhog day a holiday? It's merely a fun observation, possibly a celebration… I don't see even a Federal worker getting that day off so calling it a holiday is a bit presumptuous.
- Yes, it is a holiday. According to your logic, then Halloween, Valentine’s Day & St. Patricks Day are not legitimate holidays… if it is listed as a holiday on a calendar then yes, it is a holiday. Happy Ground Hog's Day!!
- Why Do We Celebrate Groundhog Day? I’ll bet the Whistle Pig is wondering the same thing...let him hibernate.
- Groundhog's Day is celebrated because the people in Punxsutawney, Pa have nothing better to do…
- Lighten Up! To all you people who complain about Groundhog Day… Lighten Up! Do you take yourself so seriously that you can't have a little fun once in a while?
- Why do we celebrate Groundhog Day? Because we want to!
- We celebrate because we like to say Punxsutawney Phil.
- Groundhog Day is another holiday that can offer a distraction from the craziness of our lives… It's something pointless and silly that we can focus on rather than… serious stuff.
- To (us) pagans it is not pointless & silly. It is a celebration of the returning of sun's light… It celebrates the rebirth of the coming spring…
- At (my) university, students have been celebrating Groundhog Day for decades. If the groundhog is drunk, he doesn't care if he sees his shadow!
- Groundhog Day is celebration of nothing… And why does a single groundhog in Punxsutawney determine the length of winter for the entire country? There are groundhogs all over the place… the Punxsutawney groundhog is… boring - no wonder they used it as the basis of the movie… How do the residents of Punxsutawney make a living the other 365 days of the year?
- Lighten up, Francis. Don't overanalyze, just go with it…
- I plan to sneak downstairs at dawn 2/2, & scare my guinea pigs awake for their prediction. They out-talk a groundhog any ol' day.
- It's nice to have a reminder that winter will not last forever, which is the real reason this holiday started. But then again Winter Solstice is also celebrated to remind people that there is good even in the darkest part of the year...
- Didn't they run this story last year?
- They ran the story thousands and thousands of times last February 2nd. Don't you remember?
- Didn’t you just ask me that?
- (GreatWhiteNorth) What a Holiday! I want to hang up my stocking for Groundhog Day.
- (Gryphem) I love Groundhog Day. It is my favorite holiday. It was even before the movie, although I love the movie, too. If you have to ask "Why?" then you wouldn't understand. To all of you who are in the spirit of the holiday, thanks for sharing. In the spirit of the Groundhog, I share the love with you all.
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Now Go Forth and Share the Groundhog Love. =0)
Gryphem
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