 We have to admit that we don't get it. Why take a helpless
rodent
out of the warmth of his burrow and subject him to freezing cold, just to
come up with some kind of prediction about how much longer winter will last?
(A prediction that's apparently correct only about a third
of the time.)
But today is Groundhog Day, so 30,000-40,000
people will find their way to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania -- a town of about 6,500 the rest of the year -- to watch
a bunch of guys
haul Punxsutawney Phil out of a fake log
and give us all a supposed sneak preview of the next six weeks.
The good burghers of Punxsutawney are not alone, though. All over North
America, in towns as small as Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia (home of Shubenacadie Sam), and as large as New York City (where Staten Island Chuck resides), groundhogs will earn their yearly keep by
playing weather woodchuck for the day.
No one really knows how the whole thing started. It's apparently a
combination of the Christian holiday of Candlemas
and the Julian Calendar's placing of the Vernal Equinox six weeks after February 2nd, but there’s no clear
origin.
Not only that, but there's tremendous variety in the ways February 2nd is
commemorated around the world. The day is known in France as La Chandeleur,
when the French celebrate by eating crepes, and in Mexico, Día de la Candelaria is a time to eat tamales.
And it’s not like predicting the weather is exclusive to bucktoothed rodents. If it rains in Germany on June 27 (Siebenschlaefertag), the rest of the summer will be rainy. Same with
England's St. Swithin’s Day (July 15). Depending on the weather that day, the next
forty days and nights will be rainy or sunny. (Given that it's England, our
money's on rainy.)
We're writing this in sunny California, where the climate over the next six
weeks is likely to be the same as it was the last six. It might seem as
though we're in a never-ending loop of nice weather, so if we wake up
tomorrow to the strains of "I Got You Babe," it may be time to worry and start rethinking our
lives.
Suggested Sites...
- The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club - official site for the big Groundhog Day doings,
with news, schedule, and travel guide.
- Twitter: Punxsutawney Phil - well, if he can predict the weather, we suppose he can tweet, too.
- The Groundhog Fraud
- Slate.com exposes the shenanigans in Punxsutawney.
- Holiday Spot: Groundhog Day - you know; for kids. History of the holiday, quiz,
greeting cards, and more.
- Wikipedia: Groundhog Day: The Movie - background, fun facts, and more about the classic
1993 comedy.
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