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Bring on the cloud - it’s Ground Hog Day!
From ancient pagan festivals to the first official Groundhog Day celebration, February 2, 1887, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and still today, this rodent remains a trusted annual weather forecaster.
At the hole of Gobbler's Knob, people gather to ask, "Do you think we’re in for another six weeks of winter or will we have an early spring?"
Legend has it,
that if it’s a sunny day and the groundhog sees its shadow, it goes back to sleep for six more weeks of winter. If the weather is cloudy and the groundhog does not see its shadow, it will remain outside, suggesting the worst of winter is over and spring is set to arrive.
We love predictions and tales, old folklore, and such, so, where do we find this little fur-ball, and what does he forecast?
In Scotland?
Where the old saying goes, “If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there will be two winters in the year.”
In England?
Where the proverb suggests, “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.”
In Germany?
Where, "For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl until May. For as the snow blows on Candlemas Day, so far will the sun shine before May.
“A shepherd would rather see a wolf enter his stable on Candlemas Day than see the sun shine.
In United States?
Where the song plays, "I see a little groundhog, furry and brown. He's popping up to look around. If he sees his shadow, down he'll go. Six more weeks of winter - oh, no!"
"If the sun shines on Groundhog Day; half the fuel and half the hay."
The winters in Western Europe finish sometime around February 2nd, but Canada is usually still covered in a layer of cold snow long after that date. Our chubby little groundhog most likely has a few weeks to sleep.
As per Canadian meteorological data, Historical Canada, it’s proven over the past four decades that the groundhogs’ success rate for predicting Canadian weather is quite low. That there have been an equal number of sunny and cloudy days on February 2nd.
During this period, the groundhogs’ predictions were correct only 37 per cent of the time, meaning that winters remained cold for several weeks after the groundhog saw its shadow or that temperatures became much milder than usual if that day was too cloudy for a shadow to be seen.
Whatever the outcome, spring is around the corner and so too are sunnier days. That means more vitamin D, smiles, & wide open screen doors. Don't forget to get your irrigation system installed to help maintain the ecosystem for Mr. Groundhog!
