Sunday, February 3, 2013

Groundhog Day Plus One

The Groundhog has spoken:

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This was to have been yesterday’s post, on February 2, better known as Groundhog Day. Due to other activities, it's a day late. 

Groundhog Day predicts the arrival of spring, according to Pennsylvania German folklore. If the groundhog, named Punxutawney Phil, emerges from his burrow on a cloudy day and does not see his shadow, then spring will come early.

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However, if it’s sunny and he thus sees its shadow, he will retreat back into his burrow and winter weather will continue six weeks more.

When I was a child, this didn't make sense to me. It seemed if the sun was out, that would mean spring was on the way. However, it was explained to me that seeing his shadow would frighten him so that he would go back and hide.
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Hmmm, that's just about as reasonable, and perhaps dependable, as expecting some high-paid television weather person to tell us what the weather's going to be!

But I digress.

 According to Wikipedia:

  • The celebration, which began as a Pennsylvania German custom in southeastern and central Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries, has its origins in ancient European weather lore, wherein a badger or sacred bear is the prognosticator as opposed to a groundhog.

  • It also bears similarities to the Pagan festival of Imbolc, the seasonal turning point of the Celtic calendar, which is celebrated on February 1 and also involves weather prognostication and to St. Swithun's Day in July.

  • The largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Already a widely recognized and popular tradition, the day received widespread attention as a result of the 1993 film Groundhog Day, which was set in Punxsutawney.

  • In southeastern Pennsylvania, Groundhog Lodges (Grundsow Lodges) celebrate the holiday with fersommlinge, social events in which food is served, speeches are made, and one or more g'spiel (plays or skits) are performed for entertainment. The Pennsylvania German dialect is the only language spoken at the event, and those who speak English pay a penalty, usually in the form of a nickel, dime, or quarter per word spoken, with the money put into a bowl in the center of the table.

  • Modern customs of the holiday involve celebrations where early morning festivals are held to watch the groundhog emerging from its burrow.

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 According to Groundhog Day organizers, the rodent forecasts are accurate 75% to 90% of the time. However, a Canadian study for 13 cities in the past 30 to 40 years found that the weather patterns predicted on Groundhog Day were only 37% accurate over that time period—a value not significant compared to the 33% that could occur by chance.


 According to the StormFax Weather Almanac and records kept since 1887, Punxsutawney Phil's weather predictions have been correct 39% of the time. The National Climatic Data Center has described the forecasts as "on average, inaccurate" and stated that "The groundhog has shown no talent for predicting the arrival of spring, especially in recent years."

It has been reported that the groundhog didn’t see his shadow yesterday, which means that spring will arrive soon. Let’s hope Punxutawney Phil beats the odds and his prediction is correct!

Maybe they should just designate a female groundhog to replace Phil and see how accurate she can predict spring's arrival.

Or perhaps this lady in her lovely white summer skirt?
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What do you think?

12 comments:

  1. it's amazing that every single culture on Earth has some sort of ritual for expelling winter and trying to make the spring come faster. It's really funny but I realized on Friday I have my own method too: I went to the hairdresser's and had my hair cut to my very short summer lenght and i've also started sewing a summer skirt as if doing this will make warm weather come sooner :-) so I do hope the groundhog got it right this year!

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    1. And try as we may, we can't make it come one day sooner than it wants to! I am glad to hear you are getting a headstart for string. You are very clever to be making a skirt. You must share it on your blog.

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  2. Thank you Sanda for filling us in on Groundhog Day. I have never been too sure how seriously this is taken. Do they appoint a particular groundhog and watch what he does? We always rather liked the film and tend to watch when it reappears on TV. 'Groundhog Day' has entered our family vocab to describe anything repetitious. A fun post!!

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    1. Yes, one particular groundhog is chosen and it gets wide media coverage. They make a real party of it in the Pennsylvania town, and other places as well. A good excuse for a mid-winter celebration.

      I have never seen that movie Groundhog Day!

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  3. I for one am going to go with the Groundhog since he is predicting an early spring. I know I am rushing the season but I can hardly wait. We haven't had a bad winter but everything looks so drab.

    Darla

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    1. I believe we are all worn out with winter by the time February gets here. I don't really remember it was this way so much when we were younger.

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  4. I so hope Phil is right this year - so many dark, dreary days this winter and seems to rain all the time. Even though we need the rain, it makes for some gloomy days. I saw poor Phil when they pulled him out of his cage and he looked scared to death. Quite a production they made.
    I believe spring may not be too far off from looking at buds on plants but we know they can be stopped in their tracks!

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    1. Poor Phil! I'd go back and hide in my burrow too if all those cameras were pointed at me. Lets hope our wee buds don't get hit by a late hard freeze as has happened so many times in the past.

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  5. Had never heard of Groundhog day til I saw the film,the saying has caught on over here!

    Thank you for the interesting details,the only sign of Spring here are the nodding Snowdrops,we have a howling North West gale....off to have a cuppa by the fire.Ida

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    1. Your plan sounds excellent. Nothing better than a good cuppa beside a roaring fire. BTW, what kind of tea is your favorite, or does it depend on the time of day? Loose-leaf or bag?

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  6. Agreeing with Ana, we too have our frogmen, who generously spare their wisdom about the weather of the coming season. In fact, they may be just as right as the meteorologist on his high horse.
    How come predicting weather be so difficult, I keep wondering!

    Well, no signs of spring over here yet, not for months yet. The daylight time however has increased, and that lifts our spirit.
    Oh and yes, the spring clothing is pouring into the shops.
    This year I will not be the first ones buying anything. I still remember the lack of last summer.
    A delightful post once again. Thank you Sanda.

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    1. Thanks, Mette. I take it Groundhog Day is not known in Finland? I think its one of those U.S. things primarily, started by the German settlers in Pennsylvania. But it's a cute diversion.

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