Groundhog Day

Proving that there is little in this world that can happen without offending somebody, People for the Ethical Ttreatment of Animals (PETA) thinks Punxsutawney Phil, the Pennsylvania groundhog who has been predicting the weather for years, should be replaced by a robot.

Betcha didn't know that Groundhog Day was originally a blend of ancient Christian and Roman customs. (You just have to love the internet.) The Christian clergy distributed blessed candles in honor of Candlemas to celebrate the Virgin Mary's presentation of Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem on February 2. That date coincided with the pagen Celtic festival of Imbolc which falls on February 1. Tradition held that clear skies on Candlemas meant an extended winter.

Romans also believed that conditions during the first days of February were good predictors of future weather, but the empire looked to hedgehogs for their forecasts. When German immigrants came to Pennsylvannia, there were no hedgehogs, so they substituted groundhogs to make their weather predictions. And, so we have Groundhog Day.

FYI, opponents to Punxsutawney Phil's use as a weather predictor do not seem to be gaining much traction. Recognizing Phil as the goose that laid the golden egg, one spokeperson's comments referred to his living arrangements as "better than most children's in Pennsylvannia."

Perhaps PETA should take Proverb's 26:17 to heart. He who, passing by, stops to meddle with strife that is none of his business is like one who takes a dog [goundhog] by the ears.