Hello, my lovelies! Suze here, wishing you a very Happy Groundhog’s Day!
If, like me, you can’t make it to Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania at 7:20 a.m. today (Drat! Next year for sure!), you can watch the festivities by clicking here.
If, also like me, you’re a nerd about things like learning the origin of folk traditions, you can read more about them here. For the non-nerds, or the non-link-clickers, Groundhog’s Day as we know it is based on ancient European traditions, but it’s a bear or badger who emerges from its winter lair (the groundhog a/k/a woodchuck or whistlepig) is a North American animal). It may go back even farther into Celtic times to the festival of Imbolc, a turning point of the Celtic calendar. I get my information from Wikipedia, peeps, so pagan experts out there feel free to correct me!
Groundhog’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. Yup, I consider it a holiday, even though I have to work. Back in my single days, my housemates and I hosted a “Hog Day” party every February 2. Trust me, it was the social event of the season. Why did we choose Groundhog’s Day? Because it was undercelebrated, I guess, unless you live in Pennsylvania. We didn’t really need a reason.
So, what’s today’s Secret? Simple. You’ve been working really, really hard. I know I have. Stop at the bakery and bring home a cake for your family (or, gasp! just for yourself. Then you can get the kind you like). If you’re so inclined, have a glass of champagne or something else fizzy. If you’ve got party hats and noisemakers left over from New Year’s, now’s the time to bring them out. Click here to get yourself in the mood. Dancing? Why not? Spring’s coming, you’re alive, and that’s reason enough to celebrate.
What about you? Have you ever celebrated for no reason? What’s your favorite silly holiday? If you miss Groundhog’s Day, National Pig Day is coming up on March 1. And do you call it a groundhog, woodchuck, whistlepig, or something else (roadkill, or destructive garden-munching rodent)?
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Cute post Susz. I thought Spring was here already. It will be fun to see if our hog has a shadow. Hope not, cause the next six weeks will make up for this springy weather we’ve had. I agree, it is a great excuse to party. Thx.
It’s felt like spring to me for weeks now — no complaints here!
I love an excuse to party! In fact, perhaps I’ll have some sort of sweet treat on my dining room table tonight, say around 7? But in my household, by far the biggest holiday of the year (other than Christmas/birthdays – dratted kids do love getting those presents) is my wedding anniversary. Every year we have chocolate cake and fruit for dinner. No pesky nutrition that day! The origins of this fabu meal came about the day after our wedding. Hubby and I served a decadent chocolate cake at the wedding instead of traditional white cake and the caterer kindly packed up huge chunks for us to take on our honeymoon with us. We had it for breakfast the next day – and maybe a snack before the flight to Disney. Yummy! But my kids are now nearly old enough to remember from year to year that luscious night when I feed them cake for dinner.
I love the cake for dinner idea! Me, I’d be famished again in a couple of hours.
I love Groundhog Day.
I worked in the IT department for a major corporation, and a big percentage of our employees were from India, especially Bangalore. I soon became acquainted with the sub-continent’s unique sense of humor, and discovered they particularly loved practical jokes.
When there were holidays that they celebrated in their homeland, the Indian employees would often bring their traditions into the workplace, such as special foods or decorations. So, as practical joke, one year I told a newly-arrived contingent that Groundhog Day was a very important holiday in the USA, and that everyone had to wear brown and also wear a hat, and eat foods containing walnuts.
The next day, they all showed up in brown and wearing hats, and bearing a variety of walnut cookies and cakes. They were not the least angry with me — they laughed and congratulated me for my successful practical joke, and everyone really enjoyed the walnut bread….
I feel a distinct craving for walnuts (preferably mixed into bread or cookies — do you have a recipe to share?)! Let’s put this out on Twitter and see if we can get this new tradition started.
Chuckles (CT’s ground hog) says early spring and Phil just said – six more weeks of winter. I guess time will tell who is right.
My mother likes to declare a day an “unbirthday” (remember that from Alice and Wonderland?). Basically it’s an excuse to buy what you want or celebrate. So I say to everyone: “A very merry unbirthday to you!” (and now I have that Disney song stuck in my head).
Unbirthday … yes! All the fun without the pain of actually becoming another year older. Perfect.
This is too much fun! I’m cracking up, Toni! That is awesome.
Great post, Suze! I’m a big fan of Ground Hog Day (I’m talking about one reason why over at http://www.rcbonitz.com site today).
I love February. It’s my birthday month, the blessed month when my youngest son was born, and the turn of season from winter to spring. I make it a point to pick a lovely day in February to head to the beach for the day. I like to go alone, pack a picnic lunch, and spend the day walking the beach, writing, visiting the wineries along the coast or stopping in Mystic on my way home. Inevitably, there is always a February warm up and I’ve spent many a 60 degree day on the beach for my birthday. It’s a wonderful way to reconnect, relax, and celebrate “me”.
My husband’s birthday is in February too (in just a few days! Eek! Must go shopping!), and my son and I were both born in March. I love your idea of a personal beach day. I may have to play hookie from work some warm(ish) day and try this.
Groundhog Day is such a fun and silly day. Kids always get excited about it, I guess because it involves an animal. That’s always a plus!
Hi! Greetings from one Suze to another! I remember when my son was smaller we used to watch the Punxsutawney fun on television before school, and he got such a big kick out of it. Now that he’s a teenager he doesn’t much care. I still love it though!
Party on, Suze. We should probably plan a President’s Day celebration, too. We usually celebrate via TV with sales on furniture and mattresses. So, together, let’s order cupcakes and celebrate a dead President, shall we?
I’m saving my cupcake appetite for the Connecticut Roller Girls season opener on March 31–oh, who am I kidding? I’ll probably have a cupcake before then.
my family insists on watching the movie, which is a good one but after a couple of years, you do start to get exactly what Bill Murray was going through. I think I’ll tell them about the wear brown and make nut recipes tradition — maybe it can be the start of something new.
Loved the movie the first couple of times I saw it. After that, as you said, it started feeling like I was in some kind of time loop — repeatedly watching a movie about repeatedly living the same day over and over again. One of you sci-fi writers out there can adopt this plot bunny, BTW! There’s a story in there somewhere.
My personal favorite silly celebration is Sept. 19th which is “Talk Like a Pirate Day” …. Need I say …. Rrrrrrrrr!
Could we make that “Talk to Johnny Depp in Person Day”? Now that’s a holiday I could embrace!
Jane, I love groundhog day and the movie. He saw his shadow this morning and last year he didn’t so I’m expecting him to be wrong this year too–can’t wait for spring. Marian
Even if it were ten below, I’ll bet you would feel warm and spring-like, Marian! So much success in such a short time! Congrats from the Scribes on your second sale!
I went out and got the new Valentine’s Day doughnuts from D&D. They’re heart shaped, cream filled and one is chocolate with chocolate chips on the top and the other is white frosted with pink and red heart candies on them. My son loved them!
Mmmmm – donuts! (channeling Homer Simpson and/or Stephanie Plum right now) Maybe I’ll stop and get one for my son on the way home — he’s been sick with a cold and ear infection, so one of those happy donuts might be just the ticket to make him feel better. Well, I might sneak an extra one in the bag. I can always use some cheering up of that nature!
My class and I celebrate PIG DAY every year !!! We make pig masks, learn about all types pigs. The wall outside of my classroom is a homage to the pig. One day the superintendent was walking the halls in my school and was so intrigued by my display he stopped in. “What’s with all the pigs?” he said. And after I told him he shook his head, smiled and said, “Only a special ed teacher would celebrate National Pig Day.” I still don’t know how I should feel about that statement.
I picked up a donut (one of those seasonal heart shaped ones at DD) and a glass of wine. How’s that for celebrating??
That’s about it for me this year. Years past, I actually got the kids out of bed and drove down to Manchester to wake the groundhog up at the Childrens’ Museum at 4 in the morning. I called it an educational field trip.