It has become a tradition in the United States to watch for a ground hog to emerge on the 2nd of February.
We know this as Groundhog Day, an event that originates from ancient Celtic tradition.
Groundhog Day was known as Imbolog, or sheep's
milk, a time for nurturing young sheep and planting spring crops. The belief arose that if Imbolog were to be sunny and clear,
then winter's effects would endure, foreshadowing a long winter. However, if skies were overcast, then the warmer days of spring
would arrive early. To farmers then and today, an early spring means early spring planting and a subsequent early harvest. Often
fires were lit to commemorate the event as fires were a sign of warmth and light, both of which increased as days lengthened.
German immigrant farmers are credited with bringing Groundhog Day with them to the United States as they
settled in Pennsylvania. To them, February 2 was called Candlemas Day, because of the practice of lighting candles on this day in
celebration of early planting. The Germans believed that the badger was able to predict the weather on the basis of whether or not
its shadow appeared. If the badger, or ground hog, saw its shadow on Candlemas it would be scared and return to its burrow for
another six weeks-to sleep through the long winter. However if the skies were overcast then no shadow would appear, and an early
warm spring would be expected.
So year after year, since 1898, crowds have gathered in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on February 2 to
wait for a certain ground hog to emerge from its burrow. Today the belief in this as a predictor of weather is not nearly as
consequential as it appears despite all the hoopla created by the news media. Yet there is some scientific rationale to the ritual,
albeit not in the accuracy of the forecast. When the skies are clear temperatures tend to be cold as the ground radiates heat absorbed
during the day back into the atmosphere. When skies are overcast, temperatures tend to moderate as clouds trap heat nearer the ground.
