BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — On Sunday, we marked Groundhog Day, a fun holiday that, according to old traditions, determines whether spring arrives early, or we get six more weeks of winter. But did you ever wonder where this tradition comes from?
This creature gets his own day on the calendar to make a seasonal forecast. We’re talking about the groundhog, of course, and while Punxsutawney Phil gets most of the glory, Buffalo has its own furry forecaster: Buffalo Bert.
So what does a groundhog have to do with weather prediction?
This custom of trusting a hibernating animal to prognosticate the arrival of spring is believed to have roots in an ancient European tradition and, incidentally, falls on the same day as the medieval Catholic feast of Candlemas.
When ancient European tribes were Christianized, they carried over the tradition to the Catholic celebration of Candlemas Day. In the United States, the holiday began as a Pennsylvania German custom in the 18th and 19th centuries, with similar origins in ancient European weather lore, wherein a badger or sacred bear is the prognosticator as opposed to a groundhog. Candlemas Day even has its own weather rhyme and…it lines up with why we look to the groundhog’s shadow for guidance.
“If Candlemas be fair and bright, come, winter, have another flight. If Candlemas bring clouds and rain, Go, Winter, and not come again."
