# Groundhog Day! :)



## Ruthanne (Jan 25, 2020)

We had a weatherman named Dick Goddard who always talked of Groundhog's Day, that is, on Groundhog Day.

Does it really predict how much more winter weather we will have?

https://www.almanac.com/content/groundhog-day-history-meaning-folklore
And here is the schedule for Groundhog Day with Punxsatawny Phil!

https://www.groundhog.org/2020-schedule


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## Ruthanne (Jan 25, 2020)




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## Pink Biz (Jan 25, 2020)

*The town of Woodstock, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago) is where much of the movie 'Groundhog Day' was filmed. So naturally, they had to get into the act too with 'Woodstock Willie'! 

http://www.woodstockgroundhog.org/*


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## Aunt Bea (Jan 25, 2020)




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## bingo (Jan 25, 2020)

that  darned groundhog.....i  was disappointed in  him when he ran back into his hole


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## Autumn72 (Jan 25, 2020)

Global warming would make for early spring. A guess.


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## Meanderer (Jan 26, 2020)

The very first Groundhog Day was on February 2, 1887.  My Grandpap was born on the second observance, in 1888.  I never knew him, so I never saw his shadow.


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## Meanderer (Jan 26, 2020)




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## JustBonee (Jan 26, 2020)

Aunt Bea said:


>



Oh, love that movie!!


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## Meanderer (Jan 26, 2020)

Deja vue...all over again?

1964


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## treeguy64 (Jan 26, 2020)

All of my life, I've always said that the logic of Groundhog Day is bass ackwards: If the animal sees his shadow, that should mean that the sun is out, and an early Spring is coming, and vice versa, with an extended Winter. Turns out, he'd have a winning record, interpreting it my way. As it stands, he had a losing record, last time I checked.


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## Ruthanne (Jan 26, 2020)

treeguy64 said:


> All of my life, I've always said that the logic of Groundhog Day is bass ackwards: If the animal sees his shadow, that should mean that the sun is out, and an early Spring is coming, and vice versa, with an extended Winter. Turns out, he'd have a winning record, interpreting it my way. As it stands, he had a losing record, last time I checked.


Sorry I don't get it


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## treeguy64 (Jan 26, 2020)

Ruthanne said:


> Sorry I don't get it


The "rules," as they stand, are that if he sees his shadow, winter will drag on. If he doesn't, an early spring is coming.

In my book, if he sees his shadow, the sun is shining, and that goes along, better, with an early spring. No shadow, no sun, winter is dragging on.

Historically, he has a losing record. If he used my rules,  bingo, he has a winning record!


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## Ruthanne (Jan 26, 2020)

treeguy64 said:


> The "rules," as they stand, are that if he sees his shadow, winter will drag on. If he doesn't, an early spring is coming.
> 
> In my book, if he sees his shadow, the sun is shining, and that goes along, better, with an early spring. No shadow, no sun, winter is dragging on.
> 
> Historically, he has a losing record. If he used my rules,  bingo, he has a winning record!


I understand now, thanks!  So the groundhog is a big winner!


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## Meanderer (Jan 27, 2020)

The whole thing has been a Fun Exercise since 1887.....try not to take it seriously.


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## Meanderer (Jan 27, 2020)




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## Aunt Bea (Jan 27, 2020)




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## Meanderer (Jan 27, 2020)

*First Groundhog Day*
"The first official Groundhog Day celebration took place on February 2, 1887, in _Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania_. It was the brainchild of local newspaper editor Clymer Freas, who sold a group of businessmen and groundhog hunters—known collectively as the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club—on the idea."


* Religious Beginnings* 

"The roots of Groundhog Day go all the way back to a different celebration, the Christian feast day of Candlemas. On February 2, Christians traditionally bring candles to their local church to be blessed, which in turn bring light and warmth to the home for the remainder of winter."

"At some point, a Candlemas folk song appeared in England that added the element of weather forecast to the holiday:

_If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again."_

"Due to the song, the connection between Candlemas and the beginning of spring spread across all of Europe, but still without any connection to an animal."


*  Introduction of the Groundhog  *

"Germany created its own interpretation of Candlemas and incorporated small hibernating animals into the lore, such as hedgehogs. If a hedgehog emerged on February 2 and saw its own shadow, there would be six more weeks of cold weather. If it didn't see its own shadow, then spring would come early."

"As early German immigrants arrived in America and settled in what is now _Pennsylvania_, Candlemas is just one of the many customs they brought with them. Because hedgehogs are native to Europe and don't exist in the wild in North America, the German settlers searched for another burrowing animal in the area to consult and found the groundhog."


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## CarolfromTX (Jan 27, 2020)

It's just a bit of fun. I can tell you, having grown up in Pennsylvania, that there was always 6 more weeks of winter, regardless of what the groundhog predicted. No groundhogs here in Texas, and not much in the way of winter, either.


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## StarSong (Jan 27, 2020)

We watch Bill Murray's _Groundhog Day_ on or around Feb. 2nd most years.  It's one of my favorite movies.


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## Nautilus (Jan 27, 2020)

An excerpt from the book I'm writing about my childhood.  The characters are my parents.  This is all true.

Carla looked like a groundhog. That’s just the way it was. There always seemed to be something about her that you just couldn’t put your finger on until Cal announced one day,

     “Ya know, Jeanne, I think your mother looks like a groundhog.”
     “My _step_mother,” she replied! “…and no, she doesn’t either.”
     “She sure as hell does…she has that groundhog shape, her nose is like this (he pushed his nose flat with his index finger) and those beady little eyes…exactly!” I wouldn’t be surprised if she even has a little furry tail. Has anybody ever checked?”
     “Cal, that’s awful,” she said smiling. Well, maybe you’re right. Yeah, I guess she does look a little “groundhog-ish,” come to think of it,” laughing.

     Everyone who was given an opportunity to “think of it” agreed.  Jeanne called her Carla, I called her Grandmom, but from the day of the big groundhog epiphany, Cal referred to her as “Gramhog,” and grinned each time he said it. Every February 2nd, you could count on him to ask in mock seriousness, “I wonder if Carla saw her shadow?”


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## Meanderer (Jan 30, 2020)

The Watson Family - "Ground Hog"


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## Meanderer (Jan 30, 2020)

Groundhog Day Pancakes! (Gluten-Free)


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## RadishRose (Jan 30, 2020)

Nautilus said:


> Cal referred to her as “Gramhog,”


Gramhog>>>


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## RadishRose (Jan 30, 2020)




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## RadishRose (Jan 30, 2020)




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## oldman (Jan 30, 2020)

Here's a picture of Punxsutawney Phil with his handler.


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## treeguy64 (Jan 30, 2020)

CarolfromTX said:


> It's just a bit of fun. I can tell you, having grown up in Pennsylvania, that there was always 6 more weeks of winter, regardless of what the groundhog predicted. No groundhogs here in Texas, and not much in the way of winter, either.



Au contraire, my fellow Texan:

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/wea...og-guest-predicts-an-early-spring-for-dallas/


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## Meanderer (Jan 31, 2020)




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## Meanderer (Jan 31, 2020)




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## RadishRose (Jan 31, 2020)




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## Butterfly (Jan 31, 2020)

I always wonder how the groundhog feels about being dragged out of  his nice warm home to participate in all that nonsense.  Haven't the groundhog handlers been bitten a couple of times?


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## Aunt Bea (Jan 31, 2020)




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## Meanderer (Jan 31, 2020)

The Groundhog Song


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## Meanderer (Jan 31, 2020)




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## Aunt Bea (Feb 1, 2020)




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## debodun (Feb 1, 2020)

I am not surprised he usually sees his shadow with all the Klieg lights trained on him.


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## Buckeye (Feb 2, 2020)

And today is the big day! I can hardly wait to see what the weather is going to be


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## ronaldj (Feb 2, 2020)

well, what will it be? six weeks or a month and a half till spring.


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## Meanderer (Feb 2, 2020)

Perry Como - Me And My Shadow


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## Aunt Bea (Feb 2, 2020)




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## Pink Biz (Feb 2, 2020)

Crowds gathered in Woodstock Sunday morning to see what Illinois’s own groundhog would have to say about an early spring.

Woodstock’s annual Groundhog Day festival kicked off with Woodstock Willie greeting the crowds and her shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter.

But, Sunday’s balmy forecast disagreed with a high of 52 degrees and sun predicted for most of the Chicago area!!


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## Pappy (Feb 2, 2020)




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## Ken N Tx (Feb 2, 2020)




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## Catlady (Feb 2, 2020)

I read that he's right or wrong 50% of the time.


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## Buckeye (Feb 2, 2020)

Yippee!  We are going to have an early spring.  Thank goodness.


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## Ken N Tx (Feb 3, 2020)




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## debodun (Feb 3, 2020)

The "official" groundhog in Pennsylvania does not go by the shadow method any more. His handler sets him on a stump on which two scrolls rest. Whichever the groundhog supposedly indicates to the handler is picked up and read as a proclamation.


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