So the damned rodent saw it's shadow this morning. I say bring out the traps!
Why this large guinea pig has any say on whether we look for buds on the trees, or add another layer of polar fleece to our winter wardrobe, I will never know.
I just can't see why they don't put some bright spot light over its head to fool it a little. But, as they say, you can't mess with Mother Nature.
Well, Mr. Punxsutawney Phil, lets have a do over. If you see your shadow again, its the dog bowl for you!
I don't know if I can stand more of this weather. Saturday it was sunny, melting and beautiful. You could almost smell "spring" in the air, but perhaps it was the dog "gifts" in the back yard.
I think I will burn my wool socks when spring actually does come. An offering to the gods that be.
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It just so happens that Writer's Almanac yesterday had a little piece on this very issue:
February 2nd is a "cross-quarter" day in the solar calendar, which means that it falls exactly between a solstice and an equinox.
It's the ancient Celtic celebration of Imbolc, in honor of Brigit, the goddess of fire, poetry, healing, and childbirth. Brigit brings the healing power of the sun back to the world on Imbolc, a day that carries the first promise of spring. Imbolc comes from the Old Irish i mbolg, meaning "in the belly," because this is the time when ewes became pregnant to deliver spring lambs.
The Christians took over the Celtic celebration and made February 2nd into a Christian holiday, Candlemas Day. Candlemas Day celebrates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple exactly 40 days after Christmas.
There are many old sayings about today -- about the emergence of animals from their winter dens and omens that predict the season ahead. One English saying goes:
If Candlemas day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another flight.
But if Candlemas day bring clouds and rain,
Winter is gone and won't come again.
There was a tradition in many European countries of watching animals -- especially badgers -- to see how they acted on this day. If they returned to their dens, it meant that there was still a long winter ahead.
German immigrants in Pennsylvania found that there weren't a lot of badgers in America, but there were a lot of groundhogs, so the holiday evolved into Groundhog Day. The first reference to Groundhog Day is from 1841, in the diary of a storekeeper in Morgantown, Pennsylvania. He wrote: "Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks' nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate."
I think I heard part of that. NPR right?
Marvelous post on the history. And I am much more upbeat of late as the snow is melting and the days have been warmer. I know this is not the end of winter, however it gives a small glimmer of spring on the horizon.
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