Earthsky Tonight
What you ought to know about Groundhog Day
02-02-2010 - Astronomy Essentials
It’s a holiday of sorts in the U.S. holiday – a favorite, though it’s hard to understand why – since most people have to go to work today as on any ordinary day.
The legend even says which groundhog. It’s the famous Punxsutawney Phil in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. If Phil sees his shadow today, it’s said we’re in for six more weeks of winter. On the other hand, a cloudy Groundhog Day forecasts an early spring.
Punxsutawney, in the western part of the Pennsylvania, has called itself the “original home of the great weather prognosticator, His Majesty, the Punxsutawney Groundhog.” Since 1887, members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club have tried to note the first appearance of Punxsutawney Phil. Other towns in the U.S. and Canada also have their own local groundhogs and local traditions for Groundhog Day, but Phil is by far the most famous of the February 2 shadow-seeking groundhogs.
What you may not know is that Groundhog Day has its root in astronomy. It’s one of the year’s four “cross-quarter” days. Each cross-quarter day represents a collection of dates more or less midway between a solstice and an equinox. February 2 is the year’s first cross-quarter day. It’s also marked by the celebration of Candlemas in the Roman Catholic and other religions.
The celebration of Groundhog Day came to America along with immigrants from Great Britain and Germany.
The tradition can be traced to early Christians in Europe, when a hedgehog was said to look for his shadow on Candlemas Day.
Try this old English rhyme: “If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, winter will have another flight. But if it be dark with clouds and rain, winter is gone and will not come again.”
Or here’s another old saying: “Half your wood and half your hay, you should have on Candlemas Day.”
In Germany it used to be said that “a shepherd would rather see a wolf enter his stable on Candlemas Day than see the sun shine.” A German badger was said to watch for his shadow. The National Geographic Society once studied the groundhog and found him right only one out of every three times.
One final note. It’s supposed to be bad luck to leave your Christmas decorations up after today. Happy Groundhog Day!
I’m glad I took my Christmas decorations down last week!
It’s always interesting to read the history of such things. Cool! Thanks for sharing.
so what is the exact cross quarter day, the day right between solstice and equinox, this year? and what are the other ones? (may, nov etc)? i suppose i can look them up. by the way all of these were celebrated as pagan holidays long before ‘groundhogs’: Imbolc in feb, Beltane in may, Lughnassad in aug, Samhain (Halloween) in oct/nov–all Celtic pre christian solar holidays.