It’s Groundhog Day … again.

It’s GROUNDHOG DAY today!

And it’s likely you’ve celebrated this day before – after all, the “holiday” is over 100 years old. Not bad for a rodent-themed, weather-prediction tradition that traces its German roots back to the middle of the 19th century. By the way, the original, the German version of this tradition features a badget – not a groundhog – but when you’re on the frontier, I guess you make due with whatever is at hand.

Good thing this tradition didn’t catch root in the American west …. whose got need for a weather-predicting buffalo?

So, what’s the big deal about February 2nd?

That date isn’t arbitrary. In fact, that early-February date marks the midway point between the winter solstice and the vernal (or spring) equinox.  According to our sources, pagans would celebrate the day with a “festival of light.” That tradition was, eventually, co-opted by medieval Christians who re-branded the pagan celebration as “Candlemas.”

“If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Winter has another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Winter will not come again.”

The number 1 groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, making his annual weather prediction – then it’s back to his burrow for more talk radio.

Eventually, Europeans would start looking back for a less supernatural reason to alieve the anxiety brought on by a prolonged winter and started looking out for animals in the woods to see if they were emerging from their dens – a sure sign of a coming spring (or of social anxiety related to missing the Candlemas party on the part of the animals).

The English would be on the lookout for hedghogs (a proper, British rodent not currently serving as an MP), the French went looking for the more refined marmot and the Germans, of course, would rely on the nearest badger to make a long-term weather prediction.

We now count on a bunch of representatives (from what I assume must be the Punxsutawney Chamber of Commerce) to show up at Gobbler’s Knob and ask their favorite rodent to pop out of his heated burrow and predict the weather. Must be a nice gig for Phil, the groundhog, who spends the other 364 days a year munching on dog food and ice cream in a climate-controlled apartment located at the Punxsutawney Public Library.