Happy Groundhog Day!

Well, by now I'm sure you heard. Punxatawney Phil saw his shadow so we are in for six more weeks of winter! My apologies to all of my Yankee friends who have seen all the winter they could possibly want already this year. But here's your educational opportunity for the day. Do you know where Groundhog Day came from?

You could Wikipedia it but I already did so let me give you the cliff notes Zoo style. As near as I can tell a bunch of Germans were in a pub into the wee small hours one very cold and blustery winter night. Having had their fair share of lager, they decided to go harass a poor sleeping rodent and then made up excuses for why they were doing it when their wives (and probably the authorities) asked them about it.

Of course I jest. The date itself is really the important part in that it coincides with several pagan and Christian observances regarding equinoxes and Candlemas. But Groundhog Day is really just a bit of a jest. It falls approximately six weeks before the vernal equinox no matter which way you split it. So your choices are "six more weeks of winter" which ironically happens if it's a sunny day and he sees his shadow (go figure). Or "only six weeks until spring" if the weather is grumpy and he doesn't see his shadow.

Now don't you feel better? You can say that you learned something today. Even if it was just about a rodent and his holiday! But just so you know, I'm going with General Beauregard Lee's (our GA version of Phil) prediction (which by the way he delivered via Twitter for all of the bloggers!) which called for an early spring. Thank you Beau!!