Ground Hog Day

Someone holding a groundhog, putting a microphone in the groundhogs face

This is what we’ve been waiting for! It’s Ground Hog day and Punxsutawney Phil was brought out of his home to tell us whether or not we would experience another six weeks of winter.

So what’s the verdict… (Drumroll please) Phil SAW HIS SHADOW this morning! Which means we’ll have another six weeks of winter.

Where did this come from? Worshiping a rodent predicting the weather…?

Strangely enough, an ancient Christian tradition.  Candlemas.  That always happened on February 2nd…where Christians would bring their candles to the church to be blessed.  The thought was the blessed candle would then bless the house throughout the winter.  

As time went on the celebration morphed into a weather thing.  It was thought if it was ‘fair and bright on Candlemas Day, winter would take another flight’  But ‘If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,Go Winter, and come not again.’

In Germany they adopted the day but added a Hedgehog to the whole story.  If the Hedgehog saw his shadow there would be longer winter, but if not winter would be short.  When they immigrated to the US, they found native Groundhogs and continued their tradition.  

Now it is a worldwide spectacle where they yank a scared groundhog out of his comfy cave and shine TV lights at him.  

JACKSONVILLE WEATHER