Yes it is Groundhog Day and our TV stations are showing the film again and again!!!! Will Punxsutawney Phil predict six more weeks of Winter or an early Spring?
Picture Credit: http://www.groundhog.org/
Well Phil emerged from his burrow surrounded by the Members of the Inner Circle and this year predicted that it will be an Early Spring!!!! It is definitely cold here in the UK today and lots of parts have snow, not us. Of course in the US certain States are experiencing the lowest temperatures ever recorded so an Early Spring would be very welcome. Who knows, but I just love these traditions.
Groundhog Day actually emerged from the Christian Religious day of “Candlemass” when Mary went to Temple to be blessed after having her Son Jesus who was also presented at Temple. It is also when the Church blessed all the candles for the year to come. It then became a day when Christians would also take their candles to be blessed. As with a lot of Christian festivals it draws some elements from Paganism where February 2nd was known as the festival of Light, which marked the mid-point of Winter, half way between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Also people kept their Candles lit to scare away evil spirits.
Also Candlemas is said to predict the weather for the rest of the Winter:
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.
I was most unhappy with Phil’s prediction, Treacle. I haven’t had any fun snow yet!
YAY!!! According to both Phil and Candlemas, winter shall leave soon here!! It started raining last night and has continued through today. Of course, my rain is nothing like that of Jenny, whose blog http://www.elefantz.com/ I follow. She is in northern Queensland and they have been inundated by a monsoon! Have a look and see the affect of so much rain. Makes me glad that the two places I currently live don’t seem to have anything close to the extremes in weather seen elsewhere in the world!! I hope you get some good snow for Treacle to play in!!