I’ve been Pagan for over twenty years, and no one has ever given me a clear, cogent explanation of the relationship between Groundhog’s Day and Brigid’s Day. I mean, they’re the same day, but other than that. Because after all, groundhogs are native to North America, and Brigid, not so much. Well, finally it occured to me that it’s just a simple seasonal weather predictor, like “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight.” Sunny day (i.e. visible shadows) on Brigid means a normal winter, cloudy day on Brigid means an early spring. I don’t need a groundhog to tell me that it’s sunny out right now. Oh well.
For the record, Punxsatawney Phil agrees with my prediction, and Staten Island Chuck does not. So maybe it’s cloudy over on Staten Island.
There’s a bit of explanation about the whole groundhog day thing on page 81 of the book “Candlemas” by Amber K and Azrael Arynn K. Basically it has to do with folklore that you could predict the next month or so of weather based on what it was like on Candlemas day (clear and bright meant more winter weather coming.) In North America, is apparently comes from a Pennsylvanian Dutch (German) belief that a hedgehog could predict the weather.
I’ve also heard that in Europe some attribute this weather-predicting role to badgers.
Actually look in the Carmina Gadelica… even more directly than rumors of badgers and hedgehogs, it has poems about the Serpent coming from the mound on the day of Bhride. It also reports this reverse weather prediction, but the animal involved is even more clearly a reawakening of energy with the spring and tied straight to Bhride on her day.
Thanks for these sources! I have the Carmina Gadelica downstairs, all I’ll have to do is find it. Maybe I’ll post a follow-up with the quotation.