Oakstead Homestead

The Longest Month and a Beginners Guide to Groundhog Day.

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From Steinback.online Feb 2nd 2016. He is waving the Manitoban Flag

It's February. The longest month in the year.......It's only the 3rd of February 2016 but the month has been going on for weeks already. It's a cold crisp morning and of course the snow is still pretty out here in the country and the blue skies are filled with fluffy white clouds and the sun is shining brightly and everything is beautiful in its own way, and the sound of a little plane up in the air somewhere make it feel as if spring is just round the corner. And maybe it is! Here in Canada, yesterday was Groundhog Day. Sadly Winnipeg Willow (a real groundhog) died last week and so was unable to perform his/her yearly duty as far as predicting when spring would arrive. and all festivities were cancelled as a mark of respect.  Surprisingly, I am unable to ascertain what Brandon Bob predicted but I am able to tell you that Manitoba Merve from Oak Hammock Marsh, (North of Winnipeg and between the big Manitoban Lakes)  predicts just six more weeks of winter and thus an early spring. How do they predict the weather? Well when they are let out of their little cages early on Feb 2nd, or thereabouts, and if they see their shadow then it's a bad long winter still ahead but if they don't see their shadow it's only six weeks to go. I am hung up on the bit about seeing their shadow.....how do you know when a ground hog sees its own shadow? Apparently it's frightened when it sees its own shadow...ok....but how do you know it's frightened? Perhaps it's really pleased to see that shadow!  Bad enough when it's a real ground hog but perhaps Manitoba Merve can tell you what you want to hear as he is a puppet......yes.......only in North America. But wait! No......The origins of Groundhog day are lost in the midst of ancient times. Thousands of years ago as my Celtic ancestors celebrated the winter Cross Quarter Day (which later became the Christian Candlemas Day)  on about Feb 2nd they dug a good old British Badger out of its hole and predicted the weather from his/her reaction to his/her own shadow........It lies deep deep within us to need a little levity in the depth of winter and as groundhogs and badgers should all be keeping warm underground at this time, and are probably not happy at being forced out into the open on a cold February day,  perhaps Manitoba Merve the Puppet is no bad thing.