The Secret History of Groundhog Day

What this little "chuckling" wants you to know!

February 2 is Groundhog Day, that quirky and strange early morning ritual where everyone wants to know if the Groundhog sees his shadow. For my book, Love Nature Magic, I wanted to talk with the Groundhog since so many gardeners I know see them as their arch nemesis. Well, was I ever in for a surprise! Groundhogs have quite the sense of humor. But you’ll have to read the book to hear about that story. This story is about how Groundhog Day even started in the first place.

            Groundhogs are epic diggers. Their homes have multiple chambers, including bathrooms that they maintain quite meticulously and higher-level bedrooms to avoid flooding. I was encouraged to “dig deep” into the history of the day and so I did.

            The first thing I discovered is that it’s on the same day as the Christian celebration of Candlemas, where people light candles to the Virgin Mary (she’s one of my favorites). The traditional English verse goes:

If Candlemas day be fair and bright;

Winter will have another flight.

If Candlemas day be shower and rain,

Winter is gone and will not come again.

            Well, that explains the six weeks more or less of winter part of Groundhog Day. But what is the history of the significance of Candlemas day? I am not going to get into the history of Mary and Jesus and whether any of it is true or not. But coincidentally, Candlemas happens on the same day as Imbolc, which is the pagan holiday celebrating Brigid, who later became St. Bridget, and the Irish festival celebrating the beginning of spring and the official start of spring cleaning season.

            Imbolc also means “in the womb,” which is when, hopefully, most animals have little babies growing inside of them. But where does Imbolc come from? Why nature, of course. February 2 happens to be the midpoint between winter solstice and spring equinox. It’s the moment when, whether the groundhog sees his shadow or not, spring is definitely on the way. (By the way, in the Southern Hemisphere Imbolc is celebrated on the first or second of August.)

            Personally, I can feel it and see it. The angle of the sunlight changes and becomes less harsh. The urge inside me to start spring cleaning bubbles up like the snow drops emerging from the cold winter soil. Whatever religion or holiday you celebrate on February 2, the sun and earth are, in the Northern Hemisphere, turning back towards each other in a cycle millions of years old. To celebrate you can light a candle or make a fire. You can also clean some windows or rooms or closets to make room for another year and the emergence of plants and animals from their long winters sleep. You can also just sit back and appreciate that nature existed long before us and will exist long after us and as Groundhog told me: It’s OK to be normal. Everything is normal.

            Happy Groundhog Day!

PS. That photo is of a baby groundhog, known as a chuckling. They pretend they are invisible when you find them!