Winter, slumbering in the open air, wears on its smiling face a dream…of spring.
The groundhog, also known as a woodchuck, is a member of the squirrel family.
The Delaware Indians, who settled Punxsutawney, Pennsyvania in the early 18th century, considered groundhogs honorable ancestors.
The name Punxsutawney is Indian for the location “punksad-uteney”, which means “town of the sandflies”.
The celebration of Candlemas predates Groundhog Day. The weather on February 2 (halfway between Winter and Spring) would indicate the severity of weather for the next 6 weeks, the sun shine being the harbinger of more wintry weather. It is claimed the Romans celebrated Hedgehog day.
The first earliest American reference to Groundhog Day is February 4, 1841 in the diary of James Morris: “Last Tuesday, the second, was Candlemas Day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out as the weather is to be moderate.”
Pennsylvania’s official celebration of Groundhog Day began on February 2, 1886 with a proclamation in The Punxsutawney Spirit : “Today is groundhog day and up to the time of going to press the beast has not seen its shadow.”
The first groundhog was named “Pauxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary.” His visit to Gobbler’s Knob came the following year.
Punxsutawney Phil’s debut: no shadow seen–an early Spring.
Phil weighs about 15 pounds and dines on dog food and ice cream in his home in the town library. He is moved to the heated burrow under the fake tree stump at Gobbler’s Knob and pulled out at 7:25 am to make his prognostication.
Since 1900 Phil has missed making an appearance only once, in 1943. Recorded appearances showed 96 shadows and 14 No Shadows.
New York City has it’s own groundhog, Staten Island Chuck, who resides in the S.I. Zoo. Wiarton Willie is Canada’s famous groundhog.
In 1993, the film Groundhog Day, egocentric TV weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) wakes up every day to relive the same Groundhog Day (did the hit in the head with the shovel cause it?), trying unsuccessfully to seduce his producer Rita (Andie MacDowell). His loss of ego, concern for others and embracing of life (and acceptance of death) leads to love, enlightenment and February 3rd (at least that’s how I saw it). The film is a classic and one of my favorites. DYI: The film depicted 33 repetitions, director Harold Ramis said it was 10 years, and the original script had February 2nd repeating for thousands of years. Most of the film was shot in Woodstock, Illinois.
The poetry quoted by Rita to Phil is from Lay of The Last Minstrel by Sir Walter Scott:
- The wretch, concentred all in self,
- Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
- And, doubly dying, shall go down
- To the vile dust, from whence he sprung,
- Unwept, unhonor’d, and unsung.
Sources: Stormfax; Groundhog.org (official site); Wikipedia.
“Is it snowing in Space?”
Bravo! You exceeded my expectations! Well done and I shall save this post for future reference. Do you think it’s weird that this is my favorite holiday? I send cards to my clients for this instead of like Xmas or Valentines (where appropriate, of course.)
Very entertaining. Thanks.
Since seeing the movie, I have had an interest in the holiday too. I may even visit Pauxsutawney one of these years.