The origins of Groundhog Day

Every year on February 2nd, people anxiously await the appearance of a medium-sized furry mammal who they believe can predict if winter weather will rage on or if spring will arrive sooner than later. Although it’s a rather strange means of prognostication, millions of people celebrate Groundhog Day, a tradition that is older than many people may know.

The first official Groundhog Day took place on February 2, 1887 at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. In the ensuing 130 years, individuals have gathered in Pennsylvania and other areas around the United States to find out if the groundhog will see his shadow. If the groundhog sees his shadow, winter will continue for six more weeks. If the groundhog does not see his shadow, then spring will arrive early.

Although the Groundhog Day of today is relatively new, the concept is actually quite old and dates back to the ancient Christian tradition of Candlemas. Candlemas is a Christian holiday commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the Temple. Candlemas falls on the 40th day of the Christmas/Epiphany period and is one of the oldest feasts of the Christian Church, celebrated since the 4th century in Jerusalem. Around the 14th century in Europe, Candlemas began to overshine Pagan holidays like Lupercalia (Romans) and Imbolc (Celts). Rather than torches and blessings from goddesses, on Candlemas custom called for members of the clergy to bless candles and distribute them to the people to symbolize that Christ was the light of the world. Weather played a role in the celebration of Candlemas. Rainy, wet weather was preferable because it suggested spring’s arrival was on the horizon.

Candlemas was celebrated in many parts of Europe and eventually spread to Germany, where animals were involved in the ceremony. Hedgehogs were plentiful in the area, and celebrants believed if they cast a shadow during fair weather on Candlemas, more bad weather was in store. Pennsylvania’s earliest settlers were German, and these immigrants brought their Candlemas traditions with them. But hedgehogs were not common in Pennsylvania, so settlers used groundhogs instead. Thus, the groundhog was seen as a wise and suitable substitute for prognostication.

Today’s celebrations include tens of thousands of visitors from all around the world who travel to Pennsylvania to see Punxsutawney Phil in person. Phil has become a celebrity of sorts and has appeared on various television shows, on a jumbo screen in Times Square and as the star of the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day.” (Although the real Phil was not allowed to be in the movie because it was filmed in Illinois instead of Pennsylvania, and the Groundhog Day organizers were notably upset.) Boasting a deeper history than many people may know, Groundhog Day will continue to delight revelers for years to come. 

10 fun facts in time for fall

Autumn is a season of many changes, with some of the most notable including the dramatic multicolored displays that occur just prior to trees shedding their leaves. It’s also a time of year when many people feel reenergized by cooler temperatures and spend many hours outdoors enjoying all that fall has to offer.

Whether one is collecting leaves, picking apples, exploring corn mazes, or driving the countryside enjoying the foliage, autumn is full of fun facts that can make the season that much more enjoyable.

1. Autumn begins on the autumnal equinox, which occurs on or near September 22 in the northern hemisphere. This year, September 22 is the day when the sun crosses the celestial equator moving southward. When the equinox occurs, there are an equal number of daylight and nighttime hours.

2. Since ancient times, autumn has been an important time of year for many civilizations. Autumn is a main harvesting time in many areas, and a successful harvest was once necessary for survival. Many steps are, and have long been, taken to ensure a bountiful autumn harvest.

3. Fall is a time when trees and other plants prepare for dormancy during winter. As autumn progresses and the hours of daylight gradually decrease, trees begin to close down their food production systems and reduce the amount of chlorophyll in leaves. Chlorophyll is the chemical that makes tree leaves green, and as it declines, other chemicals become more prominent and shine through in the leaves. That is why leaves change color.

4. Some scientists believe that global climate change can impact autumn colors, such as delaying the change in trees. Also, red pigments may start to decline as trees use sugary fuel to grow new twigs rather than to cause red leaf displays.

5. Americans more readily refer to this time of year as “fall,” while the British use “autumn.” Both terms date back to around the 16th century. Prior to this period, autumn was known as “harvest.”

6. Much of the United States bids farewell to monarch butterflies in the fall. Each autumn, monarch butterflies migrate from the United States to Mexico and some parts of Southern California. They fly at speeds ranging between 12 and 25 miles per hour.

7. A study of U.S. centenarians born between 1880 to 1895 published in the Journal of Aging Research, found that babies born during autumn months are more likely to live to age 100 than those born during the rest of the year. Thirty percent of the centenarians followed were born during the fall.

8. Squash, pumpkins and other gourds are prominent in the fall. The largest squash grown on record belonged to Joel Jarvis of Ontario, and his huge winner weighed in at 1,486.6 pounds in 2011.

9. The many-colored leaves are not the only display one might see during the fall. The autumn equinox signals the aurora borealis, also called the Northern Lights. Besides the lengthening of nights and cool evening weather, which are great for stargazers, autumn is “aurora season,” according to NASA. That’s because, during the fall, geomagnetic storms are about twice as frequent as the annual average.

10. Full moons are named for the month or season in which they rise. The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. 

Tracing your genealogy

The internet has put more information into our hands than generations past may have ever believed possible. One of the more unique ways the internet has opened doors is by providing a relatively easy way for men and women to trace their family histories. Once difficult to gather, information with regard to genealogy is now just a click away. Tracing one’s genealogy has become a popular pastime and one that is much more manageable thanks to the bevy of family tree and family lineage websites. Such sites work by gathering some key information, including the names and birthdays of certain relatives. The sites then use this data to create a more complete picture of family relations. On the popular genealogy site Ancestry.com, for example, suggestions pop up with a potential relative’s name or further information about a loved one, which can then populate the family tree even further.

In addition to knowing just who is in a family, tracing genealogy also can present a bigger picture of relatives’ occupations and military history, and  may even shed light on their travel histories. Family tree sites can be enhanced by uploading images, census data, immigration records, and even more documents that would be otherwise buried in photo albums or memory keepsakes.

Taking family genealogy a step further, many people are opting to couple their family history quests with DNA testing. Companies such as 23andMe can use a saliva sample to help pinpoint potential geographic roots. These findings can include an estimate on ethnicity, going as far as breaking down the percentage of ethnicity from certain regions of the world. Further testing may include the ability to learn about other relatives who are linked through these DNA matches.

Family genealogy websites can provide fascinating windows into our family histories. People who are unsure of their ethnicity, those who were adopted, or anyone who is just curious about how their families began can find a wealth of interesting information in relatively little time.