HERE'S HOPING
"PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL" IS RIGHT
Groundhog Day came and went,
and the holiday's official groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil,
"saw his shadow" and retreated into his hole . . .
which means "6 more weeks of winter."
Let's hope so!
It's been near 70˚ all week here,
we've hardly had any snow
and the crocus are already coming up.
It's too warm here in the Midwest,
and we'll take 6 more weeks of winter.
(Please!)
German tradition holds that if the sun
comes out on Candlemas,
the precursor to Groundhog Day,
the hedgehog (or badger) will see its shadow
and 6 more weeks of winter will follow.
When German settlers came to Pennsylvania
they continued this tradition,
using groundhogs instead of hedgehogs
to predict the weather.
The first official Groundhog Day was celebrated
on February 2, 1886 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
PHOTO: Courtesy The Punxsutawney Spirit Newspaper
