Dig Deeper on Groundhog Day
In the spirit of the movie Groundhog Day, let’s revisit one of the articles we shared on this date last year, but didn’t dig into very deeply. It’s about the origins of the holiday, which are rooted in early Christianity, in a festival called Candlemas. Have you heard of it?
Read Vance Morton’s fascinating article fascinating article for more information on the history of Candlemas and its connection to Groundhog Day, but here’s an overview:
February 2, Groundhog Day, happens to be exactly 40 days after the birth of Jesus. This isn’t a coincidence! In Jesus’s time, 40 days after his birth would have been the day Mary and Joseph presented him at the Temple in Jerusalem. The festival commemorating this day became a holiday called Candlemas, when churches would bless all of the candles to be used that year – appropriate given how often Jesus is referred to as ‘the light.’
By the Middle Ages, there was a Candlemas song that said, “If Candlemas Day be fair and bright / Then winter will have another flight / But if it be dark with clouds and rain / Then winter is gone and will not come again."
It’s all coming together now, right??? All that’s missing is the groundhog!
While the passage of time and the journey to the United States eventually stripped February 2 of its religious connotation, your family can bring it back! Dig into Vance Morton’s article, and talk about how this really special day became kind of silly, but we know the secret of what it really means. And on February 2, as we watch Punxsutawney Phil emerge from his hole, your family can light some candles and recite the Candlemas song together.
As an aside, while groundhogs are not native to Arizona, you might consider checking in with Agua Fria Freddie this year. Freddie is a rattlesnake whose powers of prognostication work the opposite way as the groundhog’s, and whose prediction of an early spring is, unsurprisingly, almost ALWAYS accurate. It’s hard to tell whether the legend of Agua Fria Freddie is more truth or joke, but you can visit his Facebook page and decide for yourself!
Share your family’s celebrations with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and have a blessed Candlemas.
