USA Culture: Groundhog Day is February 2

 

Happy Groundhog Day! Groundhog Day is February 2, and it’s a very popular day in the United States and Canada. It’s the day on which the groundhog (woodchuck) emerges from its winter rest and predicts the weather for the following six weeks.

Groundhog Day originates from the German tradition that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow (a hole or tunnel dug by a small animal) on this day and sees its shadow due to sunny weather, it will return to its den, and winter will continue for six more weeks; if it's cloudy and he doesn't see his shadow, it means an early spring. Many of Pennsylvania’s early settlers were German and they brought this tradition with them to North America.

Since there are no rodent meteorologists, there is no consistent connection between a groundhog seeing its shadow and the arrival time of spring-like weather, even though Groundhog Day remains a popular tradition. 

I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, according to the this morning’s report of Gordy, the Milwaukee County Zoo's resident groundhog, he did not see his shadow, thus predicting an early spring for Milwaukee :)

Shadow and shade

Someone who is timid, suspicious, or easily frightened can be described as “afraid of their own shadow.” It’s a common English idiom I’m using to introduce the subject of shadow and shade.

Shadow and shade. Both need a light source to be formed, but not the same kind.

A shadow is the “picture” or silhouette cast by an object that blocks any light source. What kind of light source? The sun, a lamp, a candle, a spotlight, a flashlight, a streetlight, a nightlight, etc.

Shade, on the other hand, is the "partial darkness" made by a shadow of something, such as a tree or a building, and it only applies to shadows created outside by the sun. The light is diminished in intensity as a result of the interception of the rays, creating a cool, dark area where the sun does not reach, made by the shadow.

Shadows can be fun or frightening, depending on the situation. Have you ever made shadow puppets with your hands? However, if you've ever seen a horror film, you know that nighttime shadows stimulate the imagination to think strange, scary thoughts. In that case I would be afraid of my own shadow.