Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day was inspired by an old Scottish couplet:
"If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year."
Wiarton Willie
Not sure how this evolved into the ritual that it has become. Six different regions observe the event. Wiarton Willie, of Ontario, is pictured. He predicted he'd freeze to death in 1999, just a few days before February 2. They used a stuffed version in a casket until a new albino groundhog could be auditioned.
Here in the states, we usually think of Punxsutawney Phil of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. There is also a Brandon Bob in Manitoba, a Staten Island Chuck in New York, a Balzac Billy in Alberta, and a Gary the Groundhog in Kleinburg, Ontario.
Groundhogs are woodchucks, members of the squirrel family, marmots, sometimes called "whistle-pigs," because they emit a high-pitched squeal when nervous.
How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
About 700 pounds.
Groundhog Day was inspired by an old Scottish couplet:
"If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year."
Wiarton Willie
Not sure how this evolved into the ritual that it has become. Six different regions observe the event. Wiarton Willie, of Ontario, is pictured. He predicted he'd freeze to death in 1999, just a few days before February 2. They used a stuffed version in a casket until a new albino groundhog could be auditioned.
Here in the states, we usually think of Punxsutawney Phil of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. There is also a Brandon Bob in Manitoba, a Staten Island Chuck in New York, a Balzac Billy in Alberta, and a Gary the Groundhog in Kleinburg, Ontario.
Groundhogs are woodchucks, members of the squirrel family, marmots, sometimes called "whistle-pigs," because they emit a high-pitched squeal when nervous.
How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
About 700 pounds.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home