Butterfly Rewards - earn free credits and redeem for good causes -  learn more!
my care2
make a difference

community & fun

shares

share your passions, stories, inspirations, and more

Feb 1, 2006

86
When: February 2nd each year

Groundhog Day is celebrated in the U.S. each year on February 2nd. On this day in mid-winter, the groundhog awakens from a long winter's nap, and goes outside of his den to see if he sees his shadow. This tradition is big on an otherwise cold and dreary mid-winter's day.

According to legend, if the groundhog sees his shadow (a sunny morning), there will be six more weeks of winter. He then returns to his den and goes back to sleep. If however, he does not see his shadow (cloudy days), he plays around outside of his hole for a while. If he does not see his shadow, spring is just around the corner.

The Groundhog's Day tradition travelled long ways. It comes from German roots. German immigrants brought the tradition with them from Germany. As they settled in hills of Pennsylvania, they began the tradition of using the Groundhog to predict the the arrival of Spring. The tradition is based upon Candlemas, the day that is the midpoint between Winter and Spring. A famous Candlemas poems goes:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Winter has another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Winter will not come again.


Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is the site of the annual Ground Hog event. Our little rodent friend (yes, Groundhogs are classified as rodents) is called Punxsutawney Phil. There are a few other "predictors" around the country, but they all pale in comparison to Phil's ability to predict the remainder of winter.


For the Record Phil sees his shadow about 9 out of 10 times

Visibility: Everyone
Posted: Wednesday February 1, 2006, 9:07 pm
Tags: [add/edit tags]

Group Discussions start a discussion
Comments
Or, log in with your
Facebook account:
Compose your comment and submit:




Author

Tracy Zuber
Author Tools:
Compose New Share
female, age 45, married, 2 children
Mesquite, TX, USA
TRACY'S SHARES
Feb
16
(4 comments  |  discussions )
7 Characteristics of HopeHope "lights a candle" instead of "cursing the darkness."Hope opens doors where despair closes them.Hope looks for the good in people instead of harping on the worst in them.Hope discovers what can be done ...
(0 comments  |  discussions )
Softly the evening came. The sun from the western horizon like a magician extended his golden want o'er the landscape; trinkling vapors arose; and sky and water and forest seemed all on fire at the touch, and melted and mingled together.- Henry Wadswo...
(0 comments  |  discussions )
The Road Not TakenTwo roads diverged in a yellow wood,And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perha...
(0 comments  |  discussions )
Simple Things Simple things are lovely things. Rain, dropping from the eaves, Is molten silver streaming down, Upon the fallen leaves. The thick, gray mantle of the fog, Hides everything from view. Footsteps make a hollow sound, When they're unseen by...


SHARES FROM TRACY'S NETWORK
Nov
22
by Tom W.
(0 comments  |  discussions )
I wish all my friends and all the people of the world a happy Thanksgiving. Let's all just be nice and love one another. hasta luego amigos and amigas Tommy    
(2 comments  |  discussions )
You probably won't hear anything in the news about this anniversary until the 50th is reached. However, I realized that it is significant in the fact that Kennedy was forty-six years old at the time of his death. For those who were alive and old en...
by Mark D.
(0 comments  |  discussions )
      Agnes R.I.P.   The call came on Saturday morning at 6: AM. I knew what it was about before I even got to my cell phone and answered.  Hospice was calling, letting me know that Agnes died a few minutes before; pea...
(1 comments  |  discussions )
ABOUT EARTH HOUR Earth Hour has done a lot to raise awareness of climate change issues. But there’s more to it than switching off lights for one hour once a year. It’s all about giving people a voice on the future of our planet, and the...
Nov
21
(0 comments  |  discussions )
 "Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened."     Hi, all you animal lovers! This is pretty  simple... Please ask ten friends to each ask a further ten today! The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble...


MORE MEMBER BLOGS
Nov 22
Blog: As US Debt Tops $12 Trillion, Obama Calls for Austerity by Team O.
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — By Bill Van Auken That the US debt is unsustainable is beyond question. According to the Treasury Department, Washington was compelled to pay $383 billion over the course of the last fiscal year just in interest on the public debt. Given that total re... more
Blog: Forced Labour and Rape, the New Face of Slavery in America by Team O.
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — By Paul Harris in Dayton, Ohio In the Midwestern heartland, police are encountering a new social evil: trafficking, often involving women and children who are forced to work as prostitutes or unpaid labour; and the outcomes can be brutal.http://www.in... more
Blog: US kills 11 people in Pakistan by Team O.
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — The US drone attacked twice North Waziristan leaving 11 dead and many injured on Friday.http://www.thefron tierpost.com/News.aspx?nc at=ts&nid=3258 From Information Clearing Househttp://freepage.twod ay.net/search?q=Pakistanh ttp://freepage.twoday.net ... more
Blog: Afghanistan is world's worst place to be born: UN by Team O.
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — Eight years after a US-led invasion ousted the Taliban from power in Afghanistan, the war-ravaged state is the most dangerous place in the world for a child to be born, the United Nations said.http://www.thefronti erpost.com/News.aspx?ncat =an&nid=1... more
Blog: Iraq report: Secret papers reveal blunders and concealment by Team O.
(0 comments  |  0 discussions ) — The "appalling" errors that contributed to Britain's failure in Iraq are disclosed in the most detailed and damning set of leaks to emerge on the conflict.http://snipurl.c om/tdc9a Army faces inquiry over 'Battle of Danny Boy' torture claims Evidence ... more
 
Content and comments expressed here are the opinions of Care2 users and not necessarily that of Care2.com or its affiliates.
Copyright © 2009 Care2.com, inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved