Punxsutawney Fan

Today is one of my favorite "holidays," to use that term very loosely.

Of all the zany, wacky, crazy, and unique holidays I come across on the web, this one is my very favorite.

It is Groundhog Day, and I admit that I will very much enjoy it. If I lived in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, I would want to belong to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.

It is a grand holiday, one that requires no special preparations unless you want to make Groundhog Day cookies (a sugar cookie with added molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and clove). It exists just to be enjoyed, in my mind, something to add a smile to a winter day.

To me, it does not matter whether the groundhog gets it right or wrong. I will feel cold until early May anyway, that is just me. (My standard statement is that if it is after October 1 and before April 30, then, yes, I am cold, thank you.)

The idea of the fun tradition of a furry little weather prognosticator just has a certain charm in my simple and abnormal brain. No pressure of guests, no decorating needed, just peep outside and look for clouds or sun, and read the news releases from around North America as locally famous rodents' predictions are reported. Maybe watch a few scenes from the movie, if I have time or inclination.

I wish all of you a Happy Groundhog Day! If you have a locally famous Marmota monax, let me know what he/she predicts.


Today is:

African American Coaches Day

Bonza Bottler Day

Brew Hog Day

Brigmid -- Druid Calendar, also called Feast of Imbolc, celebrated later as St. Bridget's Day, but originally a festival for Brigid, (also known as Brighid, Bríde, Brigit, Brìd) goddess of poetry, healing, and smithcraft. It is always halfway between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, so some years it is on Feb. 1 with St. Brigid's Day

Candlemas -- Christian -- or Presentation of Our Lord (f/k/a the Purification of the Virgin Mary) - commemorates the presentation of Jesus in the Temple and purification of Mary on the 40th day after the birth of Jesus. Candles have been blessed on this day since the 11th century, and this was the original forecaster, “If Candlemas is fair and clear, there’ll be two winters in the year.”

Dia de la Candelaria, Mexico

Feast of Torches

Groundhog Day

Hedgehog Day

International Pancake Day

La Fete de la Chandeleur, France, Canada

National Heavenly Hash Day

Serpent Day -- Celtic (The tradition was that on this day, the Brigmid, snakes or badgers would come out of their winter dens and predict the weather; perhaps a precursor to North America's Groundhog Day.)

Sled Dog Day

Wand Dedication Day -- Fairy Calendar

Wives' Feast Day

World Wetland's Day

Yuma Crossing Day


Anniversaries Today:

Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) marries Olivia Langdon in Elmira, NY, 1870


Birthdays Today:

Shakira, 1977
Michael T. Weiss, 1962
Christie Brinkley, 1954
Farah Fawcett, 1947
Graham Nash, 1942
David Jason, 1940
Tom Smothers, 1937
Les Dawson, 1934
James Dickey, 1923
Ayn Rand, 1905
James Joyce, 1882
Solomom R. Guggenheim,1861
Toyotomi Hideyoshi,1536 (Japan's second "great unifier")


Today in History:

New Amsterdam (later New York) is incorporated as a city, 1653
The first leopard is exhibited in the US, in Boston (admission 25 cents), 1802
Russian settlers establish the Ft. Ross trading post north of San Francisco, 1811
Jonathan Martin sets York Cathedral afire, does £60,000 damage, 1829
The first Chinese workers arrive in San Francisco, 1848
The first public men's toilet in Britain opens, on Fleet Street in London, 1852
Samuel Clemens uses the pen name Mark Twain for the first time, 1863
James Oliver invents the removable tempered steel plow blade, 1869
The SS Strathleven arrives in London with the first frozen mutton imported from Australia, 1880
The Knights of Columbus forms in New Haven, Connecticut, 1882
The first official Groundhog Day is observed in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, 1887
The bottle cap with cork seal is patented by William Painter of Baltimore, 1892
The longest boxing match under modern rules takes place in Nameoki, Illinois; 77 rounds between Harry Sharpe and Frank Crosby, 1892
The first movie close-up, of a man sneezing, is made at the Edison Studio in West Orange, NJ, 1893
The Australian Premiers' Conference held in Melbourne decides to locate Australia's capital, Canberra, between Sydney and Melbourne, 1899
Queen Victoria's funeral takes place, 1901
Musher Gunner Kaasan and his sled team, led by Balto, finish the serum run from Nenana to Nome, Alaska, delivering the much needed diphtheria medication (inspiration for the Iditarod), 1925