Ground Hogs Day

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Groundhogs Day is celebrated on February 2nd all across the United States. This holiday has it's origins in an ancient Scottish rhyme:

If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year.

Candlemas day is one of the one of the Scottish Quarter days that is now referred to as a Cross Quarter Day. A Cross Quarter day lies exactly between the equinoxes and solstices. Groundhogs Day is 6 weeks before the Vernal Equinox. This 6 week period is thought to be the origin for the legend of Groundhog Day which says if the ground hog sees his shadow on this morning there will be six more weeks of winter.

The first official Groundhog Day was celebrated in Punxsutawney Pennsylvania. The famous groundhog there named Punxatawney Phil is the official groundhog of the United States. Every year media and reporters descend on Punxatawney to get the official scoop and the President of the United States even makes a call to learn what happens. Lately large and small cities across the United States have started to have their own festivities with their own local ground hogs some of these include, Jimmy the Groundhog from Sun Prairie Wisconsin, General Beauregard Lee from Atlanta Georgia, Staten Island Chuck for New York and Malverne Mel from Malverne Long Island.

Groundhogs Day was even the subject of comedy movie starring Bill Murray and Andie McDowell.

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