Groundhog Day
02/02/12 05:13
OK. This year I am taking sides. I am rooting for Punxsutawney Phil, the Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Weather Prophet Extraordinary to see his shadow today. I am ready for six weeks more of winter if for no other reason than we haven’t yet had six weeks of winter. I don’t count highs in the mid fifties with occasional colder days and a few snow skiffs to qualify as real winter. The weather has been unusually weird so far this winter. I am just fine with a few genuine blizzards and enough snow to slow the traffic.
Having said that, I do not believe that the groundhog has any abilities as a predictor of the future. It is all fun and games with a bit of superstition mixed in. I am simply not that superstitious. I’ll trust the meteorologists over the groundhog every time.
In the first place, the groundhog is a stand in for another animal in a more ancient tradition. The day is known in the church as the Presentation of the Lord. It is also sometimes called Candlemas. It is a day set aside for contemplation of the presentation of Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem, reported in Luke 2:22-40. The day is also sometimes referred to as the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, referring to the ritual cleansing of mothers following a birth that was part of temple observances. Another name is Meeting of the Lord, in reference to the pronouncements made by Simeon and Anna about the Christ child. In the Roman Catholic Church, the presentation of Jesus is the fourth joyful mystery of the Rosary.
The celebration lands on February 2 because it is 40 days after Christmas. The number 40 is significant in many Biblical stories and in the traditions of the church as well. It is probably among the most ancient of Christian observances. There are sermons on the Feast that have been preserved that date back to at least 312, Which means we’ve been observing this occasion for at least 1700 years.
I don’t know when the tradition of looking for a hedgehog or badger hole and observing it to see if the creature saw his shadow on Candlemas got started. It appears to have been around for quite a while. There are probably some connections with themes of light and darkness in the tradition somewhere. Anyway, by the time German settlers began to come to Pennsylvania, the tradition was deeply ingrained. Having trouble finding hedgehogs, or badgers for that matter, in Pennsylvania, the settlers soon resorted to watching groundhogs.
These days it is a tradition that has become ritual and there are many folks who claim that the Groundhog who lives in Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney is the only legitimate groundhog and that The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club is the official keeper of the groundhog and interpreter of whether or not he sees his shadow.
I’ve always wondered whether or not a groundhog, emerging from an underground burrow on a bright, sunny day might close his eyes and even though he casts a shadow, he might not actually see the shadow, bringing the prediction into doubt. How do you know exactly what a groundhog actually saw or didn’t see?
Over the years we have had some fun with the day. It is the birthday of my great Uncle Ted, whose name I was given. He moved to our town when I was a child and so we spend many holidays together and for many years we always had a birthday cake and a special dinner in recognition of February 2. The tradition was expanded when my sister had a daughter born on that day, passing the holiday to a new generation.
The forecast for Rapid City is for mostly cloudy skies with the chance of snow over the next couple of days. It is going to get up into the 40’s today, but tomorrow and Saturday should be a bit cooler. The chance of snow is actually pretty slim, maybe 30% at best. But I guess Punxsutawney Phil doesn’t care about the weather in Rapid City. The forecast for Punxsutawney, PA, is also for a mostly cloudy day, so Phil may not see his shadow. There is a live web camera set up for those who just need to watch the entire event at this link: http://www.visitpa.com/groundhog-day-live-stream. People seem to be having a good time. The black suits and top hats look pretty cool. I’ve never had a hat like that and I like hats.
I heard one person comment that whether or not the groundhog sees his shadow we are in for nine more months of campaign speeches.
Still, I am hoping for more winter. I know it can cause problems for those who are traveling. And I know that it raises expenses with the need for more heat and more snowplowing, but the forest needs the snow. The plants all seem a bit stressed this winter as they wait for moisture to seep down into their roots. Some of the plants are confused by all of the warm days and are sending out premature shoots and buds.
And I will be thinking of the parents of Jesus on this day. Whether or not it is the exact day of his presentation in the temple, it must have been a powerful and overwhelming experience for the parents. On a regular basis I have the experience of parents of a child bringing their child and presenting it to me for baptism. With the water and the traditions of our people we offer our prayers of blessing and publicly acknowledge that this child is one of us. This child belongs to the traditions of our people. We are connected with generations and generations of grandmas and grandpas linking us to the most ancient of our ancestors. And we are connected to generations and generations of yet-unborn children who will grow into adults who will lead our people. I wonder if Joseph’s hands shook when he handed the baby to the elders. I wonder if Mary’s stomach fluttered as she heard their predictions and prayers. It must have been an awesome and overwhelming moment for the parents. Such joy. Such promise. Such responsibility.
And, like Punxsutawney Phil, they must have been tired – maybe even exhausted. After all, unlike Phil, they had been living with a baby for 40 days. That is equal to 40 nights of having your sleep interrupted.
On second thought, Joseph might have been relieved to hand the baby to someone else.
Having said that, I do not believe that the groundhog has any abilities as a predictor of the future. It is all fun and games with a bit of superstition mixed in. I am simply not that superstitious. I’ll trust the meteorologists over the groundhog every time.
In the first place, the groundhog is a stand in for another animal in a more ancient tradition. The day is known in the church as the Presentation of the Lord. It is also sometimes called Candlemas. It is a day set aside for contemplation of the presentation of Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem, reported in Luke 2:22-40. The day is also sometimes referred to as the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, referring to the ritual cleansing of mothers following a birth that was part of temple observances. Another name is Meeting of the Lord, in reference to the pronouncements made by Simeon and Anna about the Christ child. In the Roman Catholic Church, the presentation of Jesus is the fourth joyful mystery of the Rosary.
The celebration lands on February 2 because it is 40 days after Christmas. The number 40 is significant in many Biblical stories and in the traditions of the church as well. It is probably among the most ancient of Christian observances. There are sermons on the Feast that have been preserved that date back to at least 312, Which means we’ve been observing this occasion for at least 1700 years.
I don’t know when the tradition of looking for a hedgehog or badger hole and observing it to see if the creature saw his shadow on Candlemas got started. It appears to have been around for quite a while. There are probably some connections with themes of light and darkness in the tradition somewhere. Anyway, by the time German settlers began to come to Pennsylvania, the tradition was deeply ingrained. Having trouble finding hedgehogs, or badgers for that matter, in Pennsylvania, the settlers soon resorted to watching groundhogs.
These days it is a tradition that has become ritual and there are many folks who claim that the Groundhog who lives in Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney is the only legitimate groundhog and that The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club is the official keeper of the groundhog and interpreter of whether or not he sees his shadow.
I’ve always wondered whether or not a groundhog, emerging from an underground burrow on a bright, sunny day might close his eyes and even though he casts a shadow, he might not actually see the shadow, bringing the prediction into doubt. How do you know exactly what a groundhog actually saw or didn’t see?
Over the years we have had some fun with the day. It is the birthday of my great Uncle Ted, whose name I was given. He moved to our town when I was a child and so we spend many holidays together and for many years we always had a birthday cake and a special dinner in recognition of February 2. The tradition was expanded when my sister had a daughter born on that day, passing the holiday to a new generation.
The forecast for Rapid City is for mostly cloudy skies with the chance of snow over the next couple of days. It is going to get up into the 40’s today, but tomorrow and Saturday should be a bit cooler. The chance of snow is actually pretty slim, maybe 30% at best. But I guess Punxsutawney Phil doesn’t care about the weather in Rapid City. The forecast for Punxsutawney, PA, is also for a mostly cloudy day, so Phil may not see his shadow. There is a live web camera set up for those who just need to watch the entire event at this link: http://www.visitpa.com/groundhog-day-live-stream. People seem to be having a good time. The black suits and top hats look pretty cool. I’ve never had a hat like that and I like hats.
I heard one person comment that whether or not the groundhog sees his shadow we are in for nine more months of campaign speeches.
Still, I am hoping for more winter. I know it can cause problems for those who are traveling. And I know that it raises expenses with the need for more heat and more snowplowing, but the forest needs the snow. The plants all seem a bit stressed this winter as they wait for moisture to seep down into their roots. Some of the plants are confused by all of the warm days and are sending out premature shoots and buds.
And I will be thinking of the parents of Jesus on this day. Whether or not it is the exact day of his presentation in the temple, it must have been a powerful and overwhelming experience for the parents. On a regular basis I have the experience of parents of a child bringing their child and presenting it to me for baptism. With the water and the traditions of our people we offer our prayers of blessing and publicly acknowledge that this child is one of us. This child belongs to the traditions of our people. We are connected with generations and generations of grandmas and grandpas linking us to the most ancient of our ancestors. And we are connected to generations and generations of yet-unborn children who will grow into adults who will lead our people. I wonder if Joseph’s hands shook when he handed the baby to the elders. I wonder if Mary’s stomach fluttered as she heard their predictions and prayers. It must have been an awesome and overwhelming moment for the parents. Such joy. Such promise. Such responsibility.
And, like Punxsutawney Phil, they must have been tired – maybe even exhausted. After all, unlike Phil, they had been living with a baby for 40 days. That is equal to 40 nights of having your sleep interrupted.
On second thought, Joseph might have been relieved to hand the baby to someone else.