SMILE! IT'S GROUNDHOG DAY!

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     No matter what this furry little fellow (pictured to the left) wants to call himself, his two most famous cousins - Punxsutawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck - seem to be in disagreement on this Groundhog Day 2018.  Perhaps one is a Democrat and one is a Republican.  (LOL)  Anyway...Phil saw his shadow this morning...and therefore - according to local lore - we will have six more weeks of this year's brutally cold winter.  But Chuck has more of a positive outlook.  His prediction - having not seen his shadow - is for us to enjoy an early spring.

 

     Groundhog Day - the holiday not the movie - began out of a superstition by the Pennsylvania Dutch.  By the way, these good people - who are more commonly known as descendants of settlers to Pennsylvania's "Amish country" - have nothing to do with Holland or The Netherlands, but are ancestors of German-speaking kinfolk - going back generations - who lived in areas of Europe.  And they were called "Deutsch."  Over time, various dialects that were spoken by these welcomed immigrants to the United States...fused together for a style of tongue that developed in to a language all its own.  And somehow, because of accents...Pennsylvania Deutsch became Pennsylvania Dutch.

 

     Generally, most Americans refer to Lancaster County in "The Keystone State" as the home for Amish immigrants.  But there are many other communities throughout Pennsylvania - and elsewhere - with Amish congregations.  One neighborhood is part of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, which is a stone's throw from the borough of Punxsutawney...which brings us back to Groundhog Day.  

     Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania legend has it that a groundhog is "afraid of his own shadow."  So when this wimpy woodchuck awakens from his winter sleep on February 2nd each year...and then pops out of his burrow...if the sun shines bright and he sees his shadow...it is believed that this renowned rodent is scared...so he scurries back to his den for six more weeks of slumber.  But...if cloudy skies prevail...as the groundhog emerges from hibernation...this mischievous marmot will remain outdoors... savor a hearty breakfast...and then it's off to do whatever it is that a groundhog does when he is not snoozing.  In his mind...it's time for all critters - and all people - to celebrate...as spring is on its way.

 

     It was February 2nd, 1886 when newspaper editor Clymer Freas proclaimed in The Punxsutawney Spirit that "Today is Groundhog Day.  And up to the time of going to press...the beast has not seen its shadow."

 

     Whether you're of the belief that the groundhog can or cannot forecast the weather...Groundhog Day is one of those times when political persuasions don't matter...neither do religious convictions nor economic status...or anything else.  Groundhog Day is simply a fun moment of the year when a fat old groundhog puts smiles on our faces...even when this clever and clairvoyant creature's prognostication...is disappointing.  To quote Flying LlamaFish in 7 Reasons Groundhog Day Is The Ultimate Holiday..."It's a freakin' holiday entirely based on the power of a psychic rodent.  If that isn't the epitome of awesome...I don't know what is."

 

     And that's The Controversy for today.

 

     I'm Gary B. Duglin.

     "We'll talk again."

The Controversy is a publication of GBD Productions.  Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B. Duglin.

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Photo credits: Pinterest (Groundhog #1) and Pinterest (Groundhog #2)

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