Groundhogs and Weather

Why does everyone make such a big deal about Groundhog Day every February 2? Punxsutawny Phil is the most famous prognosticator. However, after doing a little research, I found out that there are actually several more weather-predicting rodents across the USA and Canada.

So now the question really begs to be answered! Why, why, why??? Well, here's my take on the "why".

The tradition actually started in ancient Europe when the locals would use a European Badger (Meles meles) or Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) to predict whether winter would last more weeks or spring would make an early appearance. Fast forward a few hundred years to 18th century southeastern Pennsylvania where the Pennsylvania Germans settled after leaving their homes to escape persecution. Since there are no native badgers in southeastern Pennsylvania, they continued the tradition with the closest substitute they could find--the Groundhog or Woodchuck (Marmota monax). Several Pennsylvania German communities had their own squirrely forecaster and the tradition spread over time to other regions of the US and Canada.

How did it get to be such a big deal? My guess is it started out as a curiosity when visitors would happen upon a local celebration and, being curious, would stop and watch. Over the years, news of the celebration spread and finally in 1886, Punxsutawny Phil gained enough notoriety to now have his own annual country-wide celebration of his weather "predictions".

Now should anyone put any stock into these predictions of the rodent kind? No. It's really a bunch of hooey. Groundhogs just want to sleep till spring arrives. Out of the kindness of their hearts, they accommodate their daft fellow earthlings and let themselves be used to determine how soon spring will show herself. After that day, they go back to their slumber and await the day when they can resume their normal everyday warm-weather activities of eating, sleeping, and mating. After all, Groundhogs must do what Groundhogs were created to do.

I do, however, have to give a shout-out and a very big YES! to Raleigh's own Sir Walter Wally. He predicted an early spring!

Can I get an AMEN????