Anyone who knows me knows that Groundhog Day is my favorite holiday. The rebel in me likes it because, to a large degree, I can claim it as my own. Long before it was fashionable to do so – if indeed it has ever become fashionable to do so – I used to send out Groundhog Day cards. At first, I would make my own cards with simple little sayings – “Thought I’d just pop up to say / Have a happy Groundhog Day.” But, as my mailing list grew, it was no longer practical to produce my own cards and so I would substitute any sort of blank card with a springtime scene on the front. And now, on this Groundhog Day 2008, I find myself with a blog that allows me to comment to my heart’s desire without ever sending a single card or email message.
Focus becomes the biggest challenge. There are so many things I could write about. There is the lovable rodent’s weather prognostication, astrological significance of the day, psychological implications, the fabulous, if often misunderstood movie, and works of literature. Let me try to focus on just a few, excluding the weather forecast, which is the least important of all.
GHD is anchored in the calendar because it is a cross-quarter day. Basically, this is a day that is half way between the equinoxes and solstices. In essence, it is the halfway point of one of the four seasons. So, whether or not the Groundhog sees his shadow, we are half way through winter. That in itself is reason for celebration. Cross quarter days have changed through the centuries and different dates and days are celebrated in different cultures. The ones we most commonly recognize, in addition to GHD, are May Day, Lammas Day (OK, that one is obscure!) and Halloween.
Clearly, Groundhog Day the day received a boost in popularity
with the release of Groundhog Day the movie. This is a flick that irritates many with its constantly repeating scenes that bring nothing but frustration to dim-witted viewers. After several viewings – and isn’t that ironic in itself – one begins to see some of the deeper themes running through the story. The implications of actions without consequences, the importance of treating people well, the possibilities of what we can become, and the awesome, unimaginable responsibilities and burdens of being a “god,” the thanklessness that playing that role entails and finally, with the death of the old man, the limitations of even god-like power. Even if you have seen the movie before, see it again. That is what I plan to do this evening.
If you want a good book – no, a GREAT book - on Groundhog Day for your son or daughter, niece or
nephew, or adult-child friend, I highly recommend Judy Cox’s wonderful book Go To Sleep, Groundhog! It is a children’s book in which the Groundhog settles down for his annual hibernation only to encounter chronic insomnia. His many attempts at sleep prove fruitless and so he gets up and walks around outside time and again. In the process, he experiences Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas all for the very first time. He is full of wonderment at all the amazing things he witnesses that he has never known existed. Check it out – it will be worth your while.
But finally, Groundhog Day is important because it embodies that most essential of all human qualities – hope. In the midst of the year’s most chilling and numbing season, we all stop, if only for a moment, and look forward to the inevitable coming of Spring. It is a time when we come together as a species and formally acknowledge our disdain for this dreadful season that we are forced to endure and express our collective hope for better days ahead. It is not New Years Day that marks a fresh start in our lives, but rather it is Groundhog Day. As I wrote in one of my earliest Groundhog Day cards:
Some folks think the new year starts
Whenever the old one ends.
But in the midst of winter’s cold
Our thinking often bends.
The year begins when life begins
And nothing grows in snow
Until the Groundhog brings some hope
From deep within his hole.
Finally, let me leave you with another of my early verses:
When snow and ice are all around
And cold winds blow your way
You best think twice before you frown
It’s time for Groundhog Day!
The final message of Groundhog Day is this – no matter what form that cold chill in your life may be taking, it will get better.
Here’s hoping your Groundhog Day is a joyous one indeed.
Focus becomes the biggest challenge. There are so many things I could write about. There is the lovable rodent’s weather prognostication, astrological significance of the day, psychological implications, the fabulous, if often misunderstood movie, and works of literature. Let me try to focus on just a few, excluding the weather forecast, which is the least important of all.
GHD is anchored in the calendar because it is a cross-quarter day. Basically, this is a day that is half way between the equinoxes and solstices. In essence, it is the halfway point of one of the four seasons. So, whether or not the Groundhog sees his shadow, we are half way through winter. That in itself is reason for celebration. Cross quarter days have changed through the centuries and different dates and days are celebrated in different cultures. The ones we most commonly recognize, in addition to GHD, are May Day, Lammas Day (OK, that one is obscure!) and Halloween.
Clearly, Groundhog Day the day received a boost in popularity
with the release of Groundhog Day the movie. This is a flick that irritates many with its constantly repeating scenes that bring nothing but frustration to dim-witted viewers. After several viewings – and isn’t that ironic in itself – one begins to see some of the deeper themes running through the story. The implications of actions without consequences, the importance of treating people well, the possibilities of what we can become, and the awesome, unimaginable responsibilities and burdens of being a “god,” the thanklessness that playing that role entails and finally, with the death of the old man, the limitations of even god-like power. Even if you have seen the movie before, see it again. That is what I plan to do this evening.If you want a good book – no, a GREAT book - on Groundhog Day for your son or daughter, niece or
nephew, or adult-child friend, I highly recommend Judy Cox’s wonderful book Go To Sleep, Groundhog! It is a children’s book in which the Groundhog settles down for his annual hibernation only to encounter chronic insomnia. His many attempts at sleep prove fruitless and so he gets up and walks around outside time and again. In the process, he experiences Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas all for the very first time. He is full of wonderment at all the amazing things he witnesses that he has never known existed. Check it out – it will be worth your while.But finally, Groundhog Day is important because it embodies that most essential of all human qualities – hope. In the midst of the year’s most chilling and numbing season, we all stop, if only for a moment, and look forward to the inevitable coming of Spring. It is a time when we come together as a species and formally acknowledge our disdain for this dreadful season that we are forced to endure and express our collective hope for better days ahead. It is not New Years Day that marks a fresh start in our lives, but rather it is Groundhog Day. As I wrote in one of my earliest Groundhog Day cards:
Some folks think the new year starts
Whenever the old one ends.
But in the midst of winter’s cold
Our thinking often bends.
The year begins when life begins
And nothing grows in snow
Until the Groundhog brings some hope
From deep within his hole.
Finally, let me leave you with another of my early verses:
When snow and ice are all around
And cold winds blow your way
You best think twice before you frown
It’s time for Groundhog Day!
The final message of Groundhog Day is this – no matter what form that cold chill in your life may be taking, it will get better.
Here’s hoping your Groundhog Day is a joyous one indeed.
1 comment:
Woohoo! Wonderful post! But I must correct you that Lammas is not an obscure day. Any good pagan (and there are many in our community) knows and celebrates it! Keep writing. Your posts are bright spots in my day.
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