Awakenings: Br'er Groundhog 2015

A Heavenly Day Taking a Break...

Tomorrow morning, February 2, 2015, the nation will be told by a groundhog, none the less, if winter is to be extended or if an early spring is in our midst. With brutal weather conditions across certain areas of the country, winter storms promise another day of white.

Meet Br'er Groundhog...

Are you READY for this quirky holiday, Groundhog Day? Groundhog, you may ask? You say a groundhog forecast the weather? Do you mean woodchuck, whistle-pig, land-beaver? No? What kind of folklore is this? Um-m-m-m-m? Let's look a little deeper into this weather hound.

The groundhog phenomenon traverses centuries of time shrouded in myths and legends centered around cultures and animals. This predictable tradition stems from European beliefs associated with Candlemas Day and the days of early Christmas. The Roman legions supposedly brought it to the Teutons, or Germans. They concluded that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, an animal, the hedgehog, would cast a shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of bad weather. Some would say this was interpolated as the length of the "Second Winter."

So, here we are in the 21st century, awaiting iconic news from a groundhog! Br'er Groundhog will decide the fate of winter. Tomorrow, February 2nd at 7:20 AM EST, Punxsutawney Phil will be pulled out of his 'lair' at Gobblers Knob, Pennsylvania.