"The groundhog tradition stems from similar beliefs associated with Candlemas Day and the days of early Christians in Europe, and for centuries the custom was to have the clergy bless candles and distribute them to the people. Even then, it marked a milestone in the winter and the weather that day was important.
According to an old English song:
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.
The Roman legions, during the conquest of the northern country, supposedly brought this tradition to the Teutons, or Germans, who picked it up and concluded that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, an animal, the hedgehog, would cast a shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of bad weather, which they interpolated as the length of the "Second Winter."
Pennsylvania's earliest settlers were Germans and they found groundhogs to in profusion in many parts of the state. They determined that the groundhog, resembling the European hedgehog, was a most intelligent and sensible animal and therefore decided that if the sun did appear on February 2nd, so wise an animal as the groundhog would see its shadow and hurry back into its underground home for another six weeks of winter." www.groundhog.org
Gene's interpretations of the above:
1) Priests had candles that they used to predict the future weather. So basically if it was raining on Candlemas then winter was over.
2) The Romans tried to teach the Germans to use candles for Candlemas, but apparently the Roman word for candle is the German word for hedgehog.
3) The Pennsylvania Germans were REALLY homesick or had really bad memories cuz they thought the 1/2 pound spiny hedgehog looked just like a 30 pound mass of buck toothed animal that is the groundhog.
4) At least they got the day right.
So thus concludes our walk down the historical road. Groundhog Day started in 1887, and this year marks its 120th celebration this year! Way to go Phil!
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