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Origins of
Groundhog Day The first recorded celebration of Groundhog Day comes from the diary of a Berks County, Pennsylvania storekeeper, James Morris. Dated February 4, 1841 the diary makes a reference to the German Candlemas Celebration of February 2nd and the groundhog emerging from its burrow to see its shadow. Groundhog Day as it is known in the United States is
a blending of cultures, and an effort of the Early Church to Christianize
pagan rituals. By the 1730s the Delaware Indians had settled a
campsite they called Punxsutawney (the town of the sandflies). The groundhog or woodchuck to the
Delaware Indian was a revered animal worshiped as ancestral grandfather. German settlers to Punxsutawney
brought with them the tradition of Candlemas Day. Candlemas was a day when priests
blessed candles that were then placed in each window and lit on February
1. If the sun shone in the
morning of February 2 it then meant that winter would continue for six more
weeks. Candlemas Day has it
origins in the in the pagan tradition of Imbolc or Oimelc, with
February 1st being one of the eight solar holidays that takes its roots from
Celtic mythology. Imbolc/Oimelc refers to the milk production of pregnant
ewes symbolizing the renewal of life and the onset of spring. It is celebrated with the lighting of
candles and ritual with special attention to hearth fires to welcome the
Goddess Brigid into the home. The Goddess Brigid, the daughter of a god, and the
patron of the Druids; and the Keeper of the Sacred Flame of Kildare. There is some belief that the Goddess Brigid is one
in the same as St. Brigid. The
goddess being baptized by St. Patrick.
However, there seems to be some debate over the Goddess and the Saint. In the tradition of the
Catholic Church February 1st is the Feast Day of Saint Brigid (453 – 1 Feb 523) a Catholic nun
baptized and much inspired by St. Patrick and most known for her virginity,
piety, and charity. Her
patronages are many including Ireland, babies, illegitimate children,
midwives, dairymaids, chicken farmers, boatman and more. She was the daughter of a Scottish
pagan king and a Christian slave. View The Groundhog Presentation Sources Groundhog Day
History from Stomfax The Official Site of
Groundhog Day Entrance to the Shine of
Brigit Must Visit Site aaa |