According to tradition, on Groundhog Day, February 2, if the furry critter sees his shadow and emerges from his burrow, we are in store for 6 more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t and retreats into his dwelling, the weather forecast is for milder weather in the interim.
Julie Kent of the Cleveland Leader commented regarding the origin of the February holiday:
“The Groundhog Day tradition stems from a German superstition that predicts bad weather if an animal casts a shadow on February 2, which is the Christian holiday Candlemas.”
Thisischurch.com notes:
"February 2 is ‘Candlemas’ in many churches and is the day for observing the ritual purification of Mary forty days after the birth of Jesus as well as the presentation of Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem (see Luke 2:21-40)."
Groundhog Day on a Grand Scale
According to about.com, the celebration of Groundhog Day on a grand scale has been associated with western Pennsylvania, home of the legendary Punxsutawney Phil, the famed rodent, since 1886. As it turned out, Punxsutawney Phil did behold his shadow this year, indicating a forecast of more winter weather. This projection was not confirmed by Buckeye Chuck, the Central Ohio counterpart of the more well-known cousin from Pennsylvania. In the midst of unseasonably warm weather in Ohio and other parts of the country, Buckeye Chuck’s contradictory response to Punxsutawney Phil’s assertion seems to be coming to pass already.
After Winter Comes the Spring
Whether our furry friend sees his shadow or not, we are assured that after winter comes the spring. Indeed, if winter comes, can spring be far behind? We can also be certain that even in the midst of the most severe winter, growth takes places. Tiny buds appear and lay dormant until spring’s warm rays stimulate the surging green we long to see. Here is a reminder that life goes on:
Even in Winter
He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
Psalm 1:3Mournful dark notes of the wind’s contralto solo
Pierce the heart and chill the soul with its somber tones.
Shrouded in widow’s weeds all of creation groans,
Bemoans winter’s wilderness, lifeless and hollow.
Tall stark naked trees where nothing appears to grow
Bend in the wind, vacant lodges closed for the season.
To find life in this dead time seems beyond reason,
Yet tender buds sleep in blankets of ice and snow.
Though leaves once green have faded, fallen to frostbite,
Leaf buds cluster in secret places to keep warm;
Buds wrapped in snow are stronger than before the storm.
Soon the voice of the bridegroom will ring in the night.
The time nears when the turtledove returns to sing,
When ice-covered buds will blossom: firstfruits of spring.
Listen to this message lyrically expressed in the song “Spring is Coming” by Steven Curtis Chapman:
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