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Groundhog Day
Feb 2
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"🎶 Run here, Sally, with a ten-foot pole,
To twist that whistle-pig out of his hole.
Groundhog!"
~ Traditional
Who knows? The Rodent with a Shadow knows! Pay attention to the rodent of your choice for the weather report today or channel their busy paths with this 32 bar reel! With direction reversals of all types including a set and rotate and a circle chase with a pivot, this busy dance will keep you guessing! Groundhog Day, an offshoot of Candlemas Day, began as a European and Pennsylvania German custom in the 18th and 19th centuries, substituting the native American groundhog for the European hedgehog as the preferred animal to use to predict an early or late spring! Although a symbol of good luck in many cultures, in medieval times in Britain, the hedgehog was believed by farmers to be thieves who stole milk from their cows by sucking on them at night, as well as stealing eggs! Although Punxatawney Phil from Pennsylvania in the US gets all the press, there some other fabulous forecasters in rodent world including:
Wiarton Willie (Canada) – A famous albino groundhog from Wiarton, Ontario, who makes predictions similar to Phil’s.
Staten Island Chuck (USA) – New York City’s resident weather-predicting groundhog, often known for his accuracy.
Shubenacadie Sam (Canada) – Based in Nova Scotia, he is the first groundhog to make a prediction on Groundhog Day due to the time zone.
Dunkirk Dave (USA) – A lesser-known but long-standing groundhog predictor from Dunkirk, New York.
General Beauregard Lee (USA) – Georgia’s weather-forecasting groundhog with a reputation for a high accuracy rate.
Check with your local furry forecaster as we all know, the weather nowadays is unpredictable! 🌞 ❄️ 🐹 🦔 🦔 🦔
Groundhog Day
Modern customs on Groundhog Day involve public celebrations where early morning festivals are held to watch the designated groundhog emerging from its burrow.
Groundhog Day was officially adopted in the U.S. in 1887 when an enterprising editor of a local paper in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, began promoting the town’s groundhog as the official “Groundhog Day meteorologist.” Today, the largest Groundhog Day celebration is still held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, with the groundhog named "Punxsutawney Phil."
Weather prediction lore using the groundhog began as a transplanted European custom brought by the Pennsylvania German community who settled in southeastern and central Pennsylvania in the 18th century. Whereas in Europe, a hedgehog, a badger or sacred bear would be used as the prognosticator, the native groundhog served the same purpose.
Nowadays, there are many competing groundhogs purported to be able predict the weather.
For an incredibly long list of celebrity groundhogs, from "Balzac Billy" in Balzac, Alberta, to "Susquehanna Sherman," in Mount Wolf, Pennsylvania, click the the picture below of Punxsutawney Phil" and his entourage.
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
