The surprising Catholic connection to Groundhog Day

Today is Groundhog Day, one of the strangest holidays in the United States. While the holiday was invented in America in 1887, it has Christian roots.

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Those of us in California are praising the Lord for six more weeks of winter. The rest of the nation, perhaps not so much?

Highlights

By Marshall Connolly (CALIFORNIA NETWORK)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
2/2/2017 (7 years ago)

Published in Living Faith

Keywords: Groundhog Day, Catholic, Candlemas, holidary, Feast of the Presentation

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -- Is Groundhog Day a Christian holiday? The answer, sort of. There's definitely a Christian connection to the holiday.

Groundhog Day is an American holiday celebrated every February 2. Across the country, but primarily in New England, a few groundhogs are awakened early from their hibernation. They are then removed from their homes and brought outside. According to folklore, if the groundhog sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. Conversely, if it does not see its shadow then spring will come early.

German immigrants started the holiday in Pennsylvania in 1887. Their inspiration for the day came from the Candlemas tradition in Europe.

Candlemas was a major celebration in northern Europe, particularly in France, Germany, England, Scotland and Switzerland. Today, Candlemas is also known as the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord, or the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It chiefly celebrates the presentation of Jesus Christ in the temple in Jerusalem, 40 days after his birth. The holiday is celebrated in the Anglican, Methodist, Orthodox, and Lutheran Churches.

Historically, it has been celebrated since the 4th Century in Jerusalem.

Traditionally, Candlemas celebrations would begin in a darkened church with people lighting candles from a single flame.

Around the same date, pagans across northern Europe celebrated midwinter, and the gradual turn towards spring. These celebrations varied widely in their rites, but many of them had a common feature --weather would be predicted based on whether or not the sun was out.  When these people adopted Christianity, they kept the holiday.

Candlemas became an important date to these Christians in the centuries following their conversion. Poems taught young people the importance of the holiday as a forecasting tool.

"If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Winter has another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Winter will not come again."

So, German immigrants to America invented the holiday to keep alive an old Candlemas tradition.

Today the largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where as many as 40,000 people gather to see the groundhog.

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