Feb. 2 is the exact halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It is the winter midpoint or cross-quarter day. The darkest, coldest season is now officially half over!
Though the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, the day with the fewest sunlit hours, is the time when the sun reaches its nadir and begins its return journey back toward us in the Northern Hemisphere, it isn't until six weeks later at midwinter that the gradual reappearance of the light begins to be apparent. We can finally glimpse the distant light at the end of the long winter tunnel.
The days are perceptibly longer now. There is the faintest whisper of a breath of the coming of spring in the air. A subtle frisson. There begin to be signs: the first tiny buds, like goosebumps on bare skin, begin to form on naked branches. Snowdrops appear, pushing their fragile blooms up through the still-frosty soil.
Hibernating animals begin a restless stir in their underground nests. They toss and turn and awaken long enough to devour a midnight meal before turning over and tucking back in again for the duration.
It isn't spring yet, but there is the palpable promise. The eager anticipation of the annual resurgence of life that comes each spring. Our sense of hope is renewed with the lengthening light.
It is customary in many places to foretell future spring weather conditions on this halfway marker of winter, which is celebrated as "Imbolc" in the Celtic tradition, "Li Chu'un" by the Chinese, and "Candlemas" by the Christian church. In Greece, people maintain that whatever the weather on Candlemas Day, it will continue the same for the 40 days to follow.
The Latin ditty predicts Si sol splendescat Maria purificante, major erit glacies post festum quam fuit ante. "If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, winter will have another flight: If on Candlemas day it be shower and rain, winter is gone and will not come again."
The midwinter day is also a time of weather prediction in Germany, where farmers claim they "would rather see wife upon a bier, than that Candlemas Day be sunny and clear."
Midwinter, there is designated a "Badger Day" in recognition of the underground movement toward life, which is manifest in this season. When the first wave of German farmers immigrated to this country, they brought Badger Day with them. Faced with a local lack of badgers, the Pennsylvania settlers were forced to substitute the American groundhog in its stead. And Groundhog Day has ever since continued to pique our popular fancy.
Each year on Feb. 2, the attention of the nation is directed to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where Groundhog Day is big business. Weather forecasters and news reporters converge to stake out the burrows of these furry hibernating creatures, in order to ascertain the true prognosis of the coming of spring. Though decidedly silly, Groundhog Day is a direct and thriving descendant of age-old midwinter divinatory practices.
Will Phil, the mascot groundhog, see his shadow? Will spring come on time? Tune in tonight for the eyewitness report.
OK. Now pay attention. This is how it works: if the groundhog sees his shadow, it means that there are still six more weeks of winter. If he doesn't see his shadow, it means that spring is only six weeks away.
Huh?
There are always six more weeks of winter. Spring is always six weeks away. That is why we mark the day in the first place. To remind us that winter is now half over. Despite whatever prognostication the groundhog might make, spring is never early, never late. Spring always starts exactly on time -- on the vernal equinox six weeks hence. But first we have to finish the rest of winter.
According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, by Groundhog Day you should still have half of your food store and half of your fuel if you are going to make it through the remainder of winter. So this is an excellent time to survey our resources and monitor our reserves. Do we have adequate stores of body, mind, heart and spirit to weather the rest of the winter?
What is your strategy for surviving the second half of the season? What seeds of intention are you germinating to plant come spring?
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Stuart Muszynski: Punxsutawney Values: What America Can Learn From Groundhog's Day
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Groundhog Day - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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I really liked reading about the Groundhogs. I didn't know what they looked like! We don't have them in the UK! Here I celebrated Imbolc. I had my crystals and rocks outside in our glorious 'alpine' sunshine - minus 5 degrees this morning! I had snowdrops out in my garden before Christmas this year, due, no doubt, to the mild weather at that time. Now others are coming up and the crocuses are on their way too. The days are definitely getting longer and, despite the cold and predicted snow, we have a sense that winter is coming to an end. I think we are more optimistic when the worst of the weather arrives at this time rather than in December, when we fear that it might last right through until the end of winter........
Margaret W, Preston, UK
Fanned and Faved
I love reading posts like this that point out such things.
Silly? It's the epitome of conservative science!
As nature slowly awakens,
And slowly opens her eyes,
Another new dawn on spring,
And slowly brightening skies.
A spark of inspiration,
Another touch of sun,
Amongst a snowy blanket,
Another winters nearly done.
And at the coldest time of year,
The smallest beasts arrive,
And grow the smallest seedlings,
We pray they all survive.
Its here we plant our wishes,
And steadily watch them grow,
With good intentions throughout the year,
And a fruitful bright tomorrow.
Blue skies; green trees for cover,
Brown earth; she is your bed,
Bird chorus; your alarm clock,
Spring grass; to rest your head.
by Andrea Gibbons 2007