Today in History: Ground Hog's Day

On this day (February 2) in 1840, the first documented celebration of Groundhog’s Day was celebrated. Groundhog’s Day marks a piece of weather lore which predicts that if a groundhog comes out of its hole on February 2 on a clear day and sees its own shadow the region will endure another six weeks of winter. However, if it is a cloudy day and no nasty shadow is spied, that is a sign that winter is almost over. Some scholars believe that the custom developed as a result of changing from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar and the common person trying to figure out when Spring would start. The following old Scottish poem describes the process of determining the length of winter.

If Candle-mas Day is bright and clear,

There'll be two winters in the year.

If Candle mas be fair and bright,

Winter has another flight.

If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,

Winter will not come again.

The custom appears to have come to the U.S. from German-speaking regions of Europe where the badger—not the groundhog—was the prophetic animal. The first recorded celebration of Groundhogs Day in North America was in 1840 when it was mentioned in the diary of James Morris.

Weather forecasts in my part of the U.S. say it will only be partly cloudy today so that suggests that there is a good chance winter is far from over.