What Is Jim (Sum1) Up To Today?

Groundhog Day!

Groundhog Day!

         I find it a little amazing in our world today that grown men would 'dress up' to see if a certain rodent, a groundhog called Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow or not.  I think that according to legend, if the Groundhog sees its shadow it scurries back to its den where it remains for 6 weeks.  This means we'll experience 6 more weeks of winter!

         Now the men who take care of Punxsutawney Phil really dress it up for what seems to me to be a unnecessary lengthy ceremony.  I mean, top hats, long dress coats, as if they are heading for a Grand Ball/.  They could have this little ceremony completed in 5 minute easy.  Maybe less.  You know how Marketing is though.  They've done a nice job in making this last far longer than it needs to.

         Don't people realize that Groundhog Day falls right about 6 weeks after Winter starts?  Since each season has about 12 weeks to it, that means that there are still 6 weeks of Winter left!  Shadow or no shadow.  But where, or how, did the event begin?

         Groundhog Day (Pennsylvania German: Grund'sau dåk, Grundsaudaag, Grundsow Dawg, Murmeltiertag; Canadian French: Journée de la marmotte; Lunenburg, Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a tradition observed regionally in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and sees its shadow, it will retreat to its den and winter will go on for six more weeks; if it does not see its shadow, spring will arrive early. In 2026, the shadow was seen, auguring six more weeks of winter.

         While the tradition remains popular in the 21st century, studies have found no consistent association between a groundhog seeing its shadow and the subsequent arrival time of spring-like weather.  The weather lore was brought from German-speaking areas where the badger (German: Dachs) is the forecasting animal, while in Hungary for example the bear serves the same purpose, and badgers were only watched when bears were not around.  It is related to the lore that clear weather on the Christian festival of Candlemas predicts a prolonged winter.

         The Groundhog Day ceremony held at Punxsutawney in western Pennsylvania, centering on a semi-mythical groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil, has become the most frequently attended ceremony. Grundsow Lodges in Pennsylvania Dutch Country in the southeastern part of the state observe the occasion as well. Other cities in the United States and Canada also have adopted the event.

         Yet despite all my writing, and lamenting here about this, I would love to be there one year.  Yes, I'm one of 'those' people who would love to go to Punxsutawney Pa and be there on 2/2 for Groundhog Day.  Why?  I don't know to be honest.  It's just a calling in my head.