Today, let’s revisit a very old and a very current subject. Who is Phil the Groundhog and why does everyone look to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on February 2^nd?

Early settlers to Pennsylvania carried with them a tradition that February 2^nd was the day to predict whether there would be an early spring or six more weeks of winter. Why that date? No one knows for sure, but it may have had something to do with being tired of all the cold weather and deciding to get out for some fresh air.

Remember, the shortest day was around December 21^st. That was the winter solstice, the official first day of winter. Solstice means sun (sol) stop (stice) — from the Latin. For us in the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice is the day the sun stops its southward trek, turns, and begins its annual migration northward. That’s a relief, but what’s next?

Spring, of course. But we must wait until about March 20^th, the vernal equinox. The vernal equinox is the first day of spring. It is the day of equal (equi) night (nox) and equal day – Latin again. But what do we do between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox? Well, let’s say that day is today long ago, we’re halfway between solstice and equinox, we’re in old Germany, and we decide to take a walk in the woods.

At first, we spot a bear emerging from its den; but bears can be dangerous – better keep moving. Hey, there’s a chubby groundhog squeezing from its burrow. Isn’t he cute? So warm and fuzzy. And look, he doesn’t see his shadow and he’s staying out to play — maybe because it’s overcast today, the sun’s not out, and that groundhog isn’t worried about a big old hawk swooping down to carry him off . . . and, with the cloud cover capturing the heat near the ground, it is warmer today. You know, I think that groundhog is prognosticating. He’s communicating to us in groundhogese. He’s saying that we’re going to have an early spring, not six more weeks of winter. That’s it! That’s it!

At this point, you can imagine our walkers turning and running back to town, jumping up and down, shouting and singing: “This is Groundhog Day! This is Groundhog Day! We can predict an early spring or six more weeks of winter. Let’s have a half-way party. Let’s call it Groundhog Day. Let’s do this every year.”

And they did and they do. Every February 2^nd. Especially in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Some 40,000 spectators anxiously peer at Phil the Groundhog as he pushes his pudgy form up and out from his winter accommodation. If Phil sees his shadow, turns and runs back inside, sorry, six more weeks of winter. If he stays out and plays and talks with us in groundhogese, well, an early spring is on the way.

If you don’t believe me, watch the 1993 movie, “Groundhog Day,” with the weatherman  Phil Conners, played by Bill Murray, as Phil learns from Phil how to really predict the weather. I make it a point to watch each year. It’s a film worth repeating. And hope Phil doesn’t see his shadow or it’s going to be a long cold winter for Phil and for us. Maybe. Brrrr.