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old hand
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old hand
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Noted that the other day was Ground Hog Day in the US. (There was a confusing piece on early a.m. TV here which attempted to explain the background to the day. I got the bit about winter lasting six more weeks if a ground hog saw his shadow on this day, but then the piece then got mired down in "Phil" the ground hog being chauffered around NYC. This, thinks the cynical stales, is the reason we got to see it at all. You know, one of those "Only in America" things.) BTW - is this day celebrated nationally and is it a public holiday?? It would've been nice for "our reporter" to have provided some of this sort of fundamental data!!
Anyway.....
It got me to wondering - Is there any other "Something-or-other Day" in the English speaking world where the "something-or-other" is an animal?? Perhaps it IS a case of only in America? Certainly not in Oz.
stales
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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This is pretty interesting, Sweetie. Found at Wilstar.com.
==========================================================
How Did the Groundhog Get a Day of His Own?
The lowly groundhog, often called a woodchuck, is the only mammal to have a day named in his honor. The groundhog's day is February 2. Granted, it’s not a federal holiday; nobody gets off work. But still, to have a day named after you is quite a feat.
How did the groundhog come by this honor?
It stems from the ancient belief that hibernating creatures were able to predict the arrival of springtime by their emergence.
The German immigrants known as Pennsylvania Dutch brought the tradition to America in the 18th century. They had once regarded the badger as the winter-spring barometer. But the job was reassigned to the groundhog after importing their Candlemas traditions to the U.S. Candlemas commemorates the ritual purification of Mary, 40 days after the birth of Jesus.
Candlemas is one of the four "cross-quarters" of the year, occurring half way between the first day of winter and the first day of spring. Traditionally, it was believed that if Candlemas was sunny, the remaining six weeks of winter would be stormy and cold. But if it rained or snowed on Candlemas, the rest of the winter would be mild. If an animal "sees its shadow," it must be sunny, so more wintry weather is predicted:
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Winter has another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Winter will not come again.
The groundhog and badger were not the only animals that have been used to predict spring. Other Europeans used the bear or hedgehog--but in any case the honor belonged to a creature that hibernated. Its emergence symbolized the imminent arrival of spring.
Traditionally, the groundhog is supposed to awaken on February 2, Groundhog Day, and come up out of his burrow. If he sees his shadow, he will return to the burrow for six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, he remains outside and starts his year, because he knows that spring has arrived early.
In the U.S., the “official” groundhog is kept in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Every February 2, amid a raucous celebration early in the morning, “Punxsutawney Phil” as the groundhog is called, is pulled from his den by his keepers, who are dressed in tuxedos. Phil then whispers his weather prediction into the ear of his keeper, who then announces it to the anxiously-awaiting crowd.
Of course, this is for show. It’s a fun celebration and a great tradition. But Phil's keepers secretly decide upon the "forecast" in advance of the groundhog's arousal.
Besides, spring always arrives on or near March 21, so whether the groundhog decides to return to his den or remain above ground, the sad fact is spring will always have to wait at least six more weeks.
Copyright © 2001 by Jerry Wilson. Get permission to reprint this article.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Copyright © 2001 by Jerry Wilson. Get permission to reprint this article. Didja get permission, Jackie?  (nice bit o' research there, I learned a lot from it) “Punxsutawney* Phil”Try saying that fast three times in a row, stales  addendum: Some regions in the US now have their own groundhogs. The one in Georgia is called "General Lee" (I know, I know...)----- *Æenigma: puny
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journeyman
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journeyman
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Try saying that fast three times in a row, stalesI think I'd pay to hear him say it once! Note - the Pennsylvania Dutch name for the gound hog is "grund sau." (Brought to you by the Department of Useless and Redundant Information.)
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Folks, in spite of having followed this thread with interest, Groundhog Day is one American tradition I completely and utterly fail to understand the purpose of. Not a criticism, just an observation. Hey Maxie, we gotta get us one of them things! How about Possum Day?
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
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I was astonished in reading the post about Candlemas ( what is exactly "mas"?), since I was thinking about
a saying - in a very strict dialect
La Madonna Candelora
dell'inverno semo fora
ma se piove o tira vento
dell'inverno semo drento.
(The day of ) the Virgin Mary - (queen of ) the candles - or bringing candles ( February, 2)
we are out of the winter,
but if it rains or there is wind
we are in (the middle of ) the winter.
I knew about Ground-hog day just from a movie with Bill Murray and...I don't remember, maybe Andie Mc Dowell?
Ciao
Emanuela
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member
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member
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How about Possum Day?Well, of course there has always been Phascologale (or Phascogale) Phriday, which is Friday the 13th of whatever, whenever it happens, here in Oz. Or don't you celebrate that in the Shaky Isles? lusy 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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CapK suggested how about Possum Day?Nah - what about Alpine weta day? I've long been fascinated byt the thought that this not so little critter quite literally freezes then thaws with the changing seasons - much tougher than those wimpy hibernators!
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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>I knew about Ground-hog day just from a movie with Bill Murray and...I don't remember, maybe Andie Mc Dowell? Yes it was Andie McDowell. According to the site below the turn out for the event has grown dramatically since the film was made, even though they changed the location in the film. "Columbia Pictures decided to film the movie in a location more accessible to a major metropolitan center. The highways in and around Punxsutawney were few, so Woodstock, Illinois was chosen as the site. Unfortunately, Woodstock's landscape doesn't have Pennsylvania's scenic rolling hills. Nevertheless, adjustments were made for the production. The actual Gobbler's Knob is a wooded hill with a beautiful view; the Gobbler's Knob in the movie is moved to the town square. The Punxsutawney Gobbler's Knob was recreated to scale in Woodstock's town square based on detailed notes and videos the crew made on it's visit to Punxsutawney." "In 1997, there were 35,000 visitors in Punxsutawney, five times the Jefferson County town's 6,700 population." http://www.stormfax.com/ghogday.htm#Movie
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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In reply to:
Candlemas is one of the four "cross-quarters" of the year, occurring half way between the first day of winter and the first day of spring.
The other cross quarter days are May Day, mid Summer (as in the play) and Halloween. all four days are important days on the Irish (pagan) calendar. Feb 1st is "birth of spring"-- (hello Faldage) and the beginning of Lambing--
As the dark ages descended on Europe, the irish got religion– a couple of hundred years latter, as they brought Christianity back to europe-- they brought back all the pagan influences, too.
So just as Easter and Christmas are "timed" to old pagan roman holidays-- so too, the cross quarter days are timed to Irish pagan holidays.
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