Hey Kids, whose day is it?
Groundhog day! Groundhogs, like all marmots, spend their summers getting fat. Marmots then spend their winters avoiding winter by hibernating, an extraordinary adaptation that permits animals to massively slow their metabolism and live off their fat the entire winter. Think about it: Eat all summer, sleep all winter. On a basic level, Groundhog Day is a holiday about hibernation and phenology. Phenology is the study of the timing of biological seasonal events, and all hibernators have to emerge and make decisions about whether or not it’s time to get back to the business of living. Marmots are emerging earlier than they did in the past, and we suspect that this reflects changing weather patterns. The Groundhog day we celebrate now evolved from Pagan and Christian midwinter festivals. In Germany, people looked for the predictive ability of European hedgehogs, cute, softball-sized spiny rodents that also hibernate. Old German lore predicted that when the hedgehog saw its shadow, spring would be delayed, because a sunny midwinter day probably meant that there was a climate-stabilizing high-pressure system around. However, if the hedgehog didn’t see its shadow, spring would come sooner, because the weather was in flux. When the Pennsylvania Dutch were looking to continue this fun tradition, they discovered that groundhogs hibernated, as well.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is calling to ax a beloved American tradition (not the gorundhogs) and to replace it with what it calls a “delicious” vegan substitution. The animal rights nonprofit organization is seeking to replace the Groundhog Day tradition with a vegan “weather reveal” cake. PETA suggests ‘Groundhog’ Day by replacing him with a delicious vegan ‘Weather Reveal’ cake that revelers can enjoy as an alternative to exploiting wild animals,” a spokesperson explained. “The time is long overdue.” Groundhog Day has been celebrated in the U.S. since 1887. Thousands of observers flock to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, every year on Feb. 2 to see Phil predict the weather. Tradition dictates that if Phil sees his shadow at daybreak and runs away, six more weeks of winter will follow. However, if he has no shadow, spring will arrive sooner.
Punxsutawney is an area that Pennsylvania Germans settled — and in the late 1880s started celebrating the holiday by picnicking, hunting and eating groundhogs. Members of Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, organized in 1899, care for Phil at a customized space beside Punxsutawney Memorial Library — where there’s a window with a view into the creature’s burrow. The Punxsutawney groundhog makes predictions but he’s not always predictable. Gobbler’s Knob, Phil’s spot, is some 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Sadly, the data I’ve seen suggest that using a hibernating fur ball is a flawed way to predict the future. But that doesn’t mean we can’t use the beginning of February to celebrate animal behavior.
Hogging the day again
I can’t believe the film Groundhog Day came out 30 years ago…
It feels like yesterday.
What do you call a groundhog in the middle of a tennis court?
Annette.
Why did the groundhog bring its watch to the bank?
It wanted to save time.
Americans tend to think us Aussies are all dumb…
But at least we get our weather information from meteorologists.
January 30th Birthdays
1995 – Danielle Campbell, 1998 – Jordana Beatty, 1990 – Elza Gonzalez, 1937 – Vanessa Redgrave
1882 – Franklin Roosevelt, 1951 – Phil Collins, 1930 – Gene Hackman, 1974 – Christian Bail