Groundhog Day in Canada (02/02)

Groundhog Day — is a traditional folk holiday in Canada and the USA, celebrated annually on February 2. It is believed that on this day you need to watch a marmot crawling out of its hole, and by its behavior you can judge the proximity of the onset of spring.

If the day is cloudy, the groundhog does not see its shadow and calmly leaves the hole — winter will soon end, and early spring is expected this year. If the day is sunny, the groundhog sees his shadow and hides back in the hole — there will be another six weeks of winter. In some cities and towns in the United States and Canada, festivals dedicated to local meteorological marmots are held on this day, attracting numerous tourists.

The history of the holiday dates back to very ancient times, when on February 2, according to the Gregorian calendar, the Presentation of the Lord began to be celebrated by Christians in Europe. Even then, the weather on this very day was considered responsible for the nature of the approaching beginning of the long-awaited spring. An old Scottish saying is still popular in North America: If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year (If on the day of Candlemas it is clear and cloudless — to be two winters a year).

The tradition of people shifting responsibility for long-term weather forecasts to « brothers of our smaller» began in Ancient Rome, where Hedgehog Day was celebrated annually on February 2. The meteorological forecast on this day was based on the behavior of an awakened hedgehog who saw or did not see his shadow. Residents of Western Europe retained this tradition in later periods, and migrants from among them to North America at one time, along with other traditions, took it with them. On the other side of the ocean where hedgehogs were not found, the role of responsible meteorologist passed to the groundhog.

Today there are seven of the world's most famous meteorology marmots: Phil of Punxsutawney Phil, Wiarton Willie, Chuck of Staten Island Chuck, Shubenacadie Sam, Balzac Billy, Jimmy the Groundhog and General Beauregard Lee.

A groundhog living on Turkey Hill, Punxsutawney, in the mountains of Pennsylvania (USA), — is the very first official meteorologist groundhog. For more than one hundred and thirty years, since 1887, people have been following the forecasts of the Pennsylvania marmot. In honor of this event, the state is hosting an annual festival, which became world famous after the release of the film «Groundhog Day», the star of which was a groundhog named Phil —, the most famous «ginger-synoptic» in America.



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