Popular tradition has it, and a lot of folks believe implicitly, that if, emerging from its winter hibernation on February 2, the groundhog sees its shadow, the animal will hurry back to its den and remain another six weeks, while that period of winter will continue.
Today is “Groundhog Day,” hence the usual number of persons are watchfully waiting the results of the weather for the next 12 hours. It is customary that everyone hails with delight the coming of sunshine on a winter day, but on February 2—well, that’s different, for nobody really wants six more weeks of cold weather, even though so far as the present winter is concerned, we have not had the long and continued spells of cold that characterized winters of years ago.
The groundhog (arctomys monax) is a burrowing animal, the fattest and laziest of the rodent family. It’s an old saying that the groundhog has just enough sense to crawl into his hole—and stay there. So, from wence comes the tradition that his coming out of winter hibernation has anything to do with the state of the weather for a period of six weeks, isn’t exactly clear.
He is known also by the name of woodchuck, but that does not remedy the fact that he is fat, obstinate, lazy, defiant, tough, flabby, placid—withal a nuisance! One can almost feel sorry for those who haven’t a woodchuck on their premises and sorry for anyone who has. The number of cabbage heads a fat old chuck can store away under his hide in one night is remarkable, to say nothing of the lettuce, cauliflower and celery. Potatoes, tomatoes and asparagus and some other things they leave alone, while the grass in the meadow remains green. And the only industry of the woodchuck is the digging of a hole in the ground in which to make his habitat. We believe the groundhog was and is, but cannot work ourselves up to the point that he is the autocracy of the weather. But we would not for the world destroy the fancy and the superstition that other people hold in his weather prognostications. We are “from Missouri” on that proposition.
Candlemas day, too, comes on February 2. In its ecclesiastical meaning, it is the feast of the purification of Virgin, strictly observed by the Roman Catholic church, and also observed as the presentation of Jesus at the Temple, when the candlesticks and other sacred things were blessed.
Years ago, according to Hurrygraph Robinsen, the old people of that time were in the habit of calling it “”Fossekettle Day,” why, and for what purpose we are unable to say, but this “groundhog or Candlemas day,” in those times, was a day they observed by having large, delicious fritters, which were eaten with syrup, honey, or preserves—a custom which has int his day past out of practice, so far as the “fritters” are concerned. A mighty good thing to feat on has passed from us. The “fritters” have frittered away.
From the editorial page of the Durham Morning Herald, Saturday, Feb. 2, 1924; E.T. Rollins, president and manager, and W.N. Keener, Editor
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