Saturday, February 2, 2013
With the recent cold snap, then warm snap, then cold snap in Freehold, the prospect of Punxsutawney Phil predicting six more weeks of winter on Feb. 2 is especially daunting
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Saturday, February 2
Groundhog Day is on Saturday, Feb. 2 this year, and the recent Arctic temperatures are giving the day a bit more resonance than usual. According to the myth, if a groundhog sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter; if he does not, spring is right around the corner. Last year, Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter while Staten Island Chuck called for an early spring. This weekend, Lacey's weather forecast is looking cold. The National Weather Service is reporting a high of 32 on Saturday, with a chance of snow during the evening. Sunday will be near 39, with a 60 percent chance of snow. Groundhog Day and other similar legends are based on the beliefs of Europeans, but the true origins of the …
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Six more weeks of winter, and the story of how it all started
Given the winter so far, six more weeks doesn't sound like a terrible punishment. Here is how the whole thing started. A long time ago, Groundhog Day and similar legends began as beliefs of Europeans, however its origins are lost in time. The day originated from the Germans, Scotts and early Christian Europeans. Today, it is celebrated every year on February 2. On this day, a groundhog comes out of its burrow and checks for his shadow. If he doesn’t see his shadow, spring will come early by six weeks. If he does see his shadow, it is six more weeks of winter for Connecticut. Groundhog Day as we know it started because the Pennsylvanian Dutch farmers wanted to know if spring was coming early or not. That information helped them determine …
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Ocean County Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari poses with his stuffed groundhog on Feb. 1
Longtime Ocean County Freeholder Director and former Berkeley Township school superintendent Joseph H. Vicari poses with his pal Oscar, a stuffed groundhog, outside the Ocean County Administration building in Toms River on Feb. 1. The caption from the Ocean County Public Affairs department states that the plush toy apparently did not see his shadow on the day before Groundhog Day. Vicari also urged Ocean County residents to be patient as county road crews labor to keep roadways safe during inclement weather. Think you can write a better caption? Post it in our comments section!
Maryann Campling
12:58 pm on Saturday, February 2, 2013
Maybe I missed something, but Phil didn't see his shadow, ergo (don't you love that word)..early Spring! We used to have Haddonfield Georgie, but a big, ugly wooden fence prevents him from making his daily appearance in my yard! more ›