Comments on: Did That Critter See His Shadow? http://geekbuffet.wordpress.com/2008/02/02/did-that-critter-see-his-shadow/ Feed your mind. Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:39:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: Jan http://geekbuffet.wordpress.com/2008/02/02/did-that-critter-see-his-shadow/#comment-5196 Jan Sun, 03 Feb 2008 00:18:20 +0000 http://geekbuffet.wordpress.com/?p=437#comment-5196 Hedgehogs would be an option, though I doubt they come out in February. I think it could have been badgers or squirrels, who do not really hibernate, but come out now and then during winter. It's also strange that we don't have a similar tradition anymore. Maybe all the weirdos moved to America... :-P Hedgehogs would be an option, though I doubt they come out in February. I think it could have been badgers or squirrels, who do not really hibernate, but come out now and then during winter.

It’s also strange that we don’t have a similar tradition anymore. Maybe all the weirdos moved to America… :-P

]]> By: poetloverrebelspy http://geekbuffet.wordpress.com/2008/02/02/did-that-critter-see-his-shadow/#comment-5195 poetloverrebelspy Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:52:35 +0000 http://geekbuffet.wordpress.com/?p=437#comment-5195 The NY Times article today said that it was any hibernating animal; another thing I read said that there weren't many hedgehogs in PA, but there were a lot of groundhogs, so the Germans just "translated" the tradition. The NY Times article today said that it was any hibernating animal; another thing I read said that there weren’t many hedgehogs in PA, but there were a lot of groundhogs, so the Germans just “translated” the tradition.

]]> By: Jan http://geekbuffet.wordpress.com/2008/02/02/did-that-critter-see-his-shadow/#comment-5194 Jan Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:34:21 +0000 http://geekbuffet.wordpress.com/?p=437#comment-5194 According to Wikipedia, "the earliest American reference to Groundhog Day can be found at the Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center at Franklin and Marshall College: 4 February 1841 — from Morgantown, Berks County (Pennsylvania) storekeeper James Morris' diary …"Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate." Since there are no groundhogs in Germany, I don't know how they came up with that idea. Maybe they were bored? According to Wikipedia, “the earliest American reference to Groundhog Day can be found at the Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center at Franklin and Marshall College:

4 February 1841 — from Morgantown, Berks County (Pennsylvania) storekeeper James Morris’ diary …”Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate.”

Since there are no groundhogs in Germany, I don’t know how they came up with that idea. Maybe they were bored?

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