Groundhog Day & Groundlings

 

                                                     Groundhog Day with Bill Murray and ?

I have a real fondness for February 2nd, because it is the birthday of our older daughter, Jocelyn. When she was young  I cut out and painted a wooden groundhog for her to put on the wall, because this is also Groundhog Day. Her birthday is always cause for celebration in our family, but Groundhog Day is a strange event, don't you think? 

Groundhog Day has its origins in the late 19th century, the brain-child of a newspaper editor and groundhog hunters in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.-- hence Punxsutawny Phil. Phil and Wiarton Willie in Ontario, and Shubenacadie Sam in Nova Scotia, ceremonially emerge from their burrows today and cast their shadows as a prediction about the length of Winter. They are invariably wrong, but there is always media coverage of the reluctant rodents. I'm surprised PETA hasn't advocated for an end to these events.

There is a quasi-religious vibe to what has developed over time, with an almost liturgical quality to the events. Perhaps we can appreciate that the change of seasons has long been connected to religious events, a recognition that there is a spiritual quality to the lengthening of days and anticipation of what always seems like the rebirth of the Earth in Spring. We are approaching the beginning of Lent in the Christian year, a word which means lengthen. 

So Groundlings, why not get outside to say a prayer of thanks for the beauty of Creation and the shadow, or lack thereof, of a Groundhog?