Thing-a-day.com

Here in Pennsylvania we have a unique method of predicting the arrival of Spring–his name is Punxsutawney Phil, and he’s a groundhog who resides in his burrow in the small western PA town of, yes, Punxsutawney. This is a Pennsylvania German tradition that, I just learned today*, has links to the Celtic/pagan festival of Imbolc, celebrated at the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. On that day the goddess Caileach emerged from her burrow to gather firewood. If the winter were to be prolonged, she made the day sunny to facilitate her wood gathering. If the day were cloudy, she stayed asleep in her burrow. In Phil’ s protocol, if the weather is sunny and he is frightened by his shadow, he retreats to his burrow for six more weeks of winter. An overcast day precludes shadow formation, and Phil’s prognostication then is for an early spring. Various fraternal organizations, known as Grundsow (PA Dutch for groundhog) Lodges, throughout the state gather on February 2 to caucus with Phil and discover his prediction and, one imagines, celebrate the holiday with a pint or two. So here in celebration of Phil and his day, is my haiku for February 2:     

                           Punxsutawney Phil

                           Frightened of his own shadow–

                           Six more weeks til Spring.

*Op Ed Piece authored by Daniel Deagler in The Morning Call (www.mcall.com/news/opinion/anotherview/all-deagler2-1.6250535feb01,0,4548461.story)–gotta give credit where credit is due

Last 5 posts by Marna

• Happy Leap Day - February 29th, 2008
• Thursday, Feb 28 - ALEX - February 28th, 2008
• Wednesday, February 27 - Fertility Tree - February 27th, 2008
• Feb 26 - Spring Hopes--Eternal - February 26th, 2008
• Monday, Feb 25 - February 25th, 2008