Today (or yesterday, depending on your tradition) is Imbolc, a Celtic Pagan holiday celebrating the sun’s return and the last of the snow. I’m fairly certain our (as in American) holiday of Groundhog’s Day comes from this holiday. Well, from the Christian appropriation of this holiday.
Christians took this holiday and called it Candlemas, and from there, they came up with a handy little poem to help determine the weather:
“If Candlemas Day be fair & bright Winter will have another flight But if Candlemas Day be clouds & rain Winter is gone & will not come again.”
The U.S. translated that into if a rodent in Philadelphia sees his shadow, we have, what is it, 6 more weeks of winter.
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