Every groundhog has his (or her) day......
Feb. 1st, 2005 01:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
poltr1Tomorrow (February 2) is the day where we turn our eyes to Punxsutawney, PA, to see a member of the Inner Circle roust Phil from his burrow, place him on the ground, and examine if he sees his shadow or not.
I like groundhogs. As I said last year, I think they're cute and cuddly, but I wouldn't want one as a pet. They have sharp teeth! If I had a garden, I'd call them "pests" because they'd be invading my garden and nibbling on my crops. But The Wife likes them. She calls them her "groundhog buddies". (I got her a stuffed groundhog for Christmas -- just like the one in the picture above -- from the Punxsutawney Souvenir Shop.) When we're driving, she looks for them on the side of the road. When she sees a live one, she points at it excitedly and says hello to it. Unfortunately, I see more dead groundhogs on the side of the road than live ones.
If I remember correctly, the legend of Groundhog Day has its roots in Candlemas day, which I suspect is a Christianization of the pagan sabbat Imbolc. It's also the approximate midpoint between the first day of winter and the first day of spring.
Yes, there was the movie "Groundhog Day" a few years ago, starring Bill Murray. There is an official documentary -- "The Life and Times of Punxsutawney Phil", put together by the members of the Inner Circle, the club of men in town who wear top hats and take care of Phil during the year. (Little-known fact courtesy of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
dagonell: Phil is really a she; female groundhogs are more docile than male groundhogs.)
Other states have their groundhogs as well. Ohio has "Buckeye Chuck". Georgia has "General Lee". But Pennsylvania is where it all started, over 100 years ago.
Sometimes I envy the life of groundhogs. They have it so easy compared to us humans. What do they think about all day? Food. Burrow. Food. Sleep. Food. Groundhog sex. Food. Burrow. Food. (And so on.)
Last but not least, here's the official Groundhog Day site.
I like groundhogs. As I said last year, I think they're cute and cuddly, but I wouldn't want one as a pet. They have sharp teeth! If I had a garden, I'd call them "pests" because they'd be invading my garden and nibbling on my crops. But The Wife likes them. She calls them her "groundhog buddies". (I got her a stuffed groundhog for Christmas -- just like the one in the picture above -- from the Punxsutawney Souvenir Shop.) When we're driving, she looks for them on the side of the road. When she sees a live one, she points at it excitedly and says hello to it. Unfortunately, I see more dead groundhogs on the side of the road than live ones.
If I remember correctly, the legend of Groundhog Day has its roots in Candlemas day, which I suspect is a Christianization of the pagan sabbat Imbolc. It's also the approximate midpoint between the first day of winter and the first day of spring.
Yes, there was the movie "Groundhog Day" a few years ago, starring Bill Murray. There is an official documentary -- "The Life and Times of Punxsutawney Phil", put together by the members of the Inner Circle, the club of men in town who wear top hats and take care of Phil during the year. (Little-known fact courtesy of
dagonell: Phil is really a she; female groundhogs are more docile than male groundhogs.)Other states have their groundhogs as well. Ohio has "Buckeye Chuck". Georgia has "General Lee". But Pennsylvania is where it all started, over 100 years ago.
Sometimes I envy the life of groundhogs. They have it so easy compared to us humans. What do they think about all day? Food. Burrow. Food. Sleep. Food. Groundhog sex. Food. Burrow. Food. (And so on.)
Last but not least, here's the official Groundhog Day site.
