Happy Groundhogs Day from Our Country Nest
Origin of Groundhogs Day
In 1723, the Delaware Indians settled Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
as a campsite halfway between the Allegheny and the Susquehanna
Rivers. The town is 90 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, at the
intersection of Route 36 and Route 119. The Delawares
considered groundhogs honorable ancestors. According to the
original creation beliefs of the Delaware Indians, their
forebears began life as animals in "Mother Earth" and emerged
centuries later to hunt and live as men.
The name Punxsutawney comes from the Indian name for the location
"ponksad-uteney" which means "the town of the sandflies."
The name woodchuck comes from the Indian legend of "Wojak,
the groundhog" considered by them to be their ancestral
grandfather.
When German settlers arrived in the 1700s, they brought a
tradition known as Candlemas Day, which has an early origin in
the pagan celebration of Imbolc. It came at the mid-point
between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.
Superstition held that if the weather was fair, the second half
of Winter would be stormy and cold. For the early Christians in
Europe, it was the custom on Candlemas Day for clergy to bless
candles and distribute them to the people in the dark of
Winter. A lighted candle was placed in each window of the
home. The day's weather continued to be important. If the sun
came out February 2, halfway between Winter and Spring, it meant
six more weeks of wintry weather.
The earliest American reference to Groundhog Day can be found at
the Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center at Franklin and Marshall
College:
February 4, 1841 - from Morgantown, Berks County (Pennsylvania)
storekeeper James Morris' diary..."Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was
Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the
Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his
shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be
cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate."
According to the old English saying:
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Winter has another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Winter will not come again.
From Scotland:
If Candlemas Day is bright and clear,
There'll be two winters in the year.
From Germany:
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.
And from America:
If the sun shines on Groundhog Day;
Half the fuel and half the hay.
If the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, an animal would
cast a shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of Winter.
Germans watched a badger for the shadow. In Pennsylvania, the
groundhog, upon waking from mid-Winter hibernation, was selected
as the replacement.
Pennsylvania's official celebration of Groundhog Day began on
February 2nd, 1886 with a proclamation in The Punxsutawney
Spirit by the newspaper's editor, Clymer Freas: "Today is
groundhog day and up to the time of going to press the beast has
not seen its shadow." The groundhog was given the
name "Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages,
Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet
Extraordinary'' and his hometown thus called the "Weather
Capital of the World.'' His debut performance: no shadow -
early Spring.
The legendary first trip to Gobbler's Knob was made the
following year.
What Is a Groundhog?
The groundhog, also known as a woodchuck (Marmota monax), is a
member of the squirrel family. Groundhogs in the wild eat
succulent green plants, such as dandelion, clover, and grasses.
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