Groundhog Day in 2022 will traditionally be celebrated not only in America, but also. Many people want to know when it will be possible to remove warm clothes and enjoy the onset of spring? In the USA and Canada, as well as in several other countries, marmots are considered the best weather forecasters. But how many people expect predictions from this rodent species?
The feast of the fortuneteller is celebrated on February 2. Wanting to know the forecast for the spring, people are watching the behavior of mammals, which crawl out of their burrows with the onset of February.
What is the essence of weather forecasting by a marmot on February 2
The essence of weather predictions based on the behavior of furry animals is as follows:
- If the animal climbed out of the hole, looked around, and then stepped back and hid in the hole, it means that winter will reign for another month and a half.
- If the rodent, crawling out of the hole, is in no hurry to return, then warm days will soon come.
Statistics show that what the marmot predicted does not always come true. The forecast accuracy is 60-80%.
How the tradition of predicting the weather on February 2 appeared
Traditional predictions have roots in astronomy. The middle of winter falls on February 2. It is still a long time before this spring, but nature is already preparing for its coming.
On a cloudy day, it is warm outside, so the animals do not rush back to their burrows. Warm weather encourages people to walk and have fun. The gloomy February sky foreshadows early spring.
If the sun is shining on February 2, then the weather is frosty. The rodent, crawling out of the hole, will feel it. He will not want to freeze, and he will hasten back to the burrow. Frosty weather on February 2 suggests that spring is still far away.
Since 1886, residents of Pennsylvania have been observing the movement of the sun. The city of Punxsutawney is considered the capital of the weather, as it was here that people first made forecasts for the spring based on observations of chipmunks and muskrats.
history of the holiday
Groundhog Day has a long history. The ancient Celts called this holiday Imbolc and was associated with the middle between autumn and spring. The Celts said that after Imbolc, the sun enters the spring sector, which means that warm days will soon come. In addition, among the Celts, February 2 was considered the day of reverence for Brigitte - the bright goddess of dawn and spring.
In former times, people lived according to the Gregorian calendar, on February 2 there was a church holiday, when the Presentation of the Lord was celebrated. In churches on February 2, candles were lit in honor of Jesus Christ. Already in those days, people made forecasts for the spring, analyzing the weather in early February.
In the United States, the first holiday of the meteorological rodent was held in 1887. The legendary royal marmot Phil became the weather forecaster that year. Phil's first meteorological experience was successful: the animal did not see its shadow, so he went for a walk without care and was in no hurry to return back to the burrow. Spring came early that year.
In Rome, the middle between the winter solstice and the spring solstice coincided with the feast of the hedgehog. People watched the awakened hedgehogs, built meteorological forecasts, based on whether the thorny animal saw its shadow. If I saw it, it means that the cold will still stand for 6 weeks. And if not, then it will be warm and early spring.
In Germany, the badger is considered a weather predictor. As was his awakening after hibernation, this will be the spring.
In the western part of Europe, ancient customs have survived to modern times, and from there the tradition of observing the behavior of animals in early February spread to other countries.
Today in America, Groundhog Day has the same significance as celebrating independence and Christmas. Many guests are now arriving in Pennsylvania on February 2 to watch the royal marmot.
Russia learned about an interesting tradition after the release of the film Groundhog Day with Andy McDowell and Bill Murray. This happened in 1993. The main character of the film woke up several times in the morning of the same day, until he changed his life principles. In the film, the festive atmosphere is conveyed in the smallest detail. However, the peculiarities of the climatic zone of Russia have made some adjustments to the choice of the date for the meteorological forecast.
Groundhog Day is celebrated on March 14th. On this date, the Russian Orthodox Church honors St. Eudoxia. In different regions of the country, the holiday has different names: Plyushchikha, Avdotya Whistler Day. Stranans at this time listen to the sounds of nature: if awakened mammals began to whistle, it means that spring time is coming. If the whistle is not heard, then March and early April will be cold.
Celebrating Groundhog Day
Traditional events for celebrating Groundhog Day in America and Canada include:
- observing the behavior of furry animals;
- a meeting of rodent admirers at the Turkey Hill in Punxsutawney;
- festivals of dance and music art.
Fans of fortunetellers dress up in tuxedos. For more solidity, they wear top hat hats.
In Yekaterinburg, an annual meeting of lovers of hedgehogs-fortune-tellers takes place on the territory of the city zoo.
Why does the marmot predict the weather?
It is a mistake to believe that marmots were the first meteorologists. Before them, people made predictions by analyzing the behavior of bears, hedgehogs and badgers. However, neither hedgehogs, badgers, nor bears are found in Pennsylvania. When immigrants from Germany arrived in these lands, on the eve of the Meeting, they were puzzled by the search for an animal that hibernates for the winter and wakes up in early spring. The marmot turned out to be such an animal.
Signs of the weather in early February
Today Groundhog Day is known all over the world. The inhabitants of megalopolises do not always have the opportunity to get involved in nature, to observe the behavior of animals. However, they can try themselves as meteorological predictors, relying on folk signs associated with spring:
- The weather on February 2 is usually exactly the same as it will be during the Maslenitsa week.
- If the second day of February turned out to be a blizzard, it means that early spring should not be expected.
- The gray sky on February 2 heralds an early and warm spring.
- If the sky is cloudless at noon on February 2, then the summer will be rainy.
- If the sky is clear in the morning on February 15, it means that the frost will last for several more weeks.
- Strong winds on Meeting foreshadow cold weather in March and April.
Groundhog Day 2022 is a great opportunity to observe the animals and then check the results of the observations.
