Will Willie and friends see shadows tomorrow?

Tomorrow is Groundhog Day. Canada’s Groundhog Day relies on the predictions of an albino groundhog named Wiarton Willie. Although Punxsutawney Phil gets the most attention, various American cities have their own special groundhogs; New York City’s official groundhog is called “Pothole Pete.”

If Willie and his friends their their shadows then we can expect 6 more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t spring is just around the corner. So what do you say will he see his shadow or not?

The earliest American reference to Groundhog Day (February 4, 1841) can be found at the Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center at Franklin and Marshall College. When German settlers arrived in the 1700s, they brought a tradition known as Candlemas Day, which has an early origin in the pagan celebration of Imbolc. It came at the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Superstition held that if the weather was fair, the second half of Winter would be stormy and cold. For the early Christians in Europe, it was the custom on Candlemas Day for clergy to bless candles and distribute them to the people in the dark of Winter. A lighted candle was placed in each window of the home. The day’s weather continued to be important. If the sun came out February 2, halfway between Winter and Spring, it meant six more weeks of wintry weather. Source