Ground Hog Day - "According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, then the spring season will arrive early. If it is sunny the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its den, and winter weather will persist for six more weeks"
All I know of Ground Hog day is a movie with Bill Murray that I don't think Ive ever seen, but I do remember laughing at the movie shorts when I was younger.
So if I believe in ancient folklore we are in for six more weeks of winter (so my local hairdresser tells me) I don't really understand how as it was not sunny and quite over cast! - I guess I will find out soon enough.
It seems to be something they take seriously here in North America. There are many groundhogs across the continent including ....
Shubenacadie Sam in Halifax
Fred la Marmotte in Quebec
Gen. Beauregard Lee in Georgia
Mr G in Massachusetts
But the most famous one of all seems to be Punxsutawey Phil from Pennsylvania (and yet, still never heard of him...) This tradition has been going for 131 years. I think this tweet by Joel Rubin sums in up nicely ...
"Happy #groundhogDay!! Today a fat rodent with weird hair will decide out future for us"