2006-07-30 15:57:10 · 15 answers · asked by mr. sushi 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Other - Holidays
It's yet another pagan tradition that has been contemporized so it's "acceptable".
Around the fifth century, the European Celts believed that animals had certain "supernatural" powers on special days that were half-way between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Folklore from Germany and France indicated that when groundhogs and bears came out of their winter dens too early, they were frightened by their shadow and retreated back inside for four to six weeks.
When Christianity came into being, the formerly pagan observance also came to be called Candlemas. The current tradition calls for "Spring Just Around the Corner" if the groundhog does not see his shadow. However, look for "At Least Six More Weeks of Winter" if the groundhog spies his pudgy image.
2006-07-31 03:31:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Well, I could be obvious and say that it's too see how much winter is left.. but I would hope that you already knew that and were being rhetorical.. actually.. groundhog day...
Is from a Celtic celebration called Imbolog. It was a celebration for having made it halfway through winter. They had a superstition on Imbolog that if the weather was fair on that day then the second half of the winter would be bad, and if the weather was bad, the second half of the winter would be fair.
2006-07-31 00:57:09 · answer #2 · answered by Imani 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To bring a small town in the hills of Pennsylvania their 10 minutes in the spotlight.
2006-07-31 06:32:18 · answer #3 · answered by Cheyenne 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The point is that if he See's his shadow we'll have an earlie spring and if not then it's six more weeks of winter.
2006-07-30 17:10:50 · answer #4 · answered by tushpush1966 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just another day to spend millions on advertising sales at Department Stores!
Ching~Ching!
2006-07-31 12:55:44 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
well in my area of pa we got 60 70.like weather Friday it going be 74 . so no poin of ground hog day at all
2017-02-19 19:11:58 · answer #6 · answered by Mike 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gives people something to be excited about or complaine about. Depending on the groundhog.
lol
2006-07-30 16:17:43 · answer #7 · answered by addicted2stamping 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A bit of lightheartedness. Hey, a real fun movie was based on it.
2006-07-30 16:11:49 · answer #8 · answered by browneyedgirl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To make people want to go to Punxsutawney, a place people would otherwise never want to go to, and spend money.
2006-07-31 04:20:30 · answer #9 · answered by Midwestern Girl 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thats what I've always wondered
2006-07-31 09:13:29 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋