The old German legend says that if the groundhog does not see his shadow, spring will arrive early. If he does see his shadow, the warning is that wintry weather will continue for at least another six weeks.
Good news! Reports indicate that Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow today. Whew! Bring on the Spring weather. Legend has it that the groundhog will see his shadow as often as nine out of ten times. As for recent Groundhog Days, that seems to be a fairly accurate assessment, since the last time Phil did not see his shadow was in 1999, or eight years ago.
This legend is a fun one, which also happened to inspire a movie with the title “Groundhog Day” featuring Bill Murray (rated PG). Have you ever seen it? He keeps waking up, only to relive Groundhog Day each morning.
In other news, children will no longer be able to enjoy a decade old tradition of nibbling on special Groundhog Day cookies. The Northern Cambria, Pennsylvania School District has banned the cookies for containing too much fat. The fat content is two percent above what the “wellness program” adopted by the school allows.
It seems kind of silly to not allow for one cookie on one special day, since it is not something that would be consumed by children on a regular basis, but the superintendent says nay. Well, they may not get a cookie, but perhaps they will be able to enjoy spring weather sooner.
Do you believe the legend of Groundhog Day? Are you glad Phil missed his shadow? I have to say, I hope old Phil is right. It’s colder than it’s been all winter here right now, and I’m about ready to be done with wintry weather so I can go out and play!
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