Groundhog Day’s surprising 3000-year-old origins

[jeffrefrig]

I remember well the first woodchuck I shot. I was about 6 yrs old and squirrel hunting with my dad. We were in the woods about 30-40 yds from field edge. My dad spotted a Chuck and handed me my Winchester .22. It was mine but I wasn't aloud to carry it yet. As I took a rest off side of a tree I remember him saying " gotta shoot him in the head with a .22 or he might make it back to his hole".

Dad & I ended up belly-shooting them so they'd go down their hole & die there. The turkey vultures loved the free meal from a head shot, though.

 

[A10]

In preparation for Groundhog Day in 1997, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club commissioned the Smith & Wesson Custom Shop to produce a Punxsutawney Phil Commemorative Model 629. It's special features include an engraving of Punxsutawney Phil on the side plate, the date February 2, 1997 on the underlug, and the words "Punxsutawney Groundhog Club" in script on the barrel, which necessitated the use of the 8 3/8 in barrel. The finish is bright stainless and the gun comes in a beautiful engraved wooden box. Only 41 of these were made.

Looks to me like a great way to greet Ol' Phil!

 

[Doug627]

When I hunt groundhogs, I give them a 22-250 kiss.

 

[DWalt]

One of my favorite movies is Bill Murray's "Groundhog Day". For years we have watched it every Groundhog night. We may not do it this year.

 

[S42N8]

I always thought the whole Groundhog Day thing was silly . Another excuse to dress up funny and drink ..

<cough>

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

[Heinz]

Why do we celebrate Groundhog Day? Groundhog Day, February 2, is a "cross-quarter day". Our ancestors divided the year into four quarters. They were using the 2 solstices and the two equinoxes. These days were marked by significant solar events. They then began the various seasons around the cross-quarter day, halfway between the equinox and solstice.
Feb 2, Candlemas was the beginning of spring
May 1, May Day, the beginning of Summer
August 1, Lammas, was the beginning of Fall
October 31, Halloween, was the beginning of winter.

The Roman Catholic Universities dispensed with those pagan ideas, dumped the cross-quarter days, and highjacked the Winter and Spring Solstice for Christmas and Easter. Easter is a little strange because it is the first Sunday after the first full moon in spring so it can be a touch off of may day but a pagan approach.
The BBC article cited by the OP is a very shallow human interest approach typical of the media

 

[Greyman50]

Back in the mountains of Va. a long time friend had a farm with a mountain, we hunted there and really good hunts. Next door was another farm owned by this older guy that we hunted also. He asked us to " keep the groundhogs down". We both bought 17s and started wiping them out, 17 does a job on them. This other farm had cows and the reason was cows often fell and broke their leg(s)in hog holes. Friend let the farmer put his cows on the hunt club land to change pastures. One afternoon we were all sitting under the back porch looking across the field towards the base of the mountain when what popped up but a groundhog. We had already put our rifles in our trucks so only had LW Commander. I had to try the shot. Rested Colt of a tall table and put hog on top of front sight and squeezed. 185 grn JHP handload wiped out the hog. The old farmer looked at me and said," quess I know why you guys shoot so much" ,LOL. Stepped it off and was just over 100 yards. We always shot all types of pistols at distance, lot of fun.

 

[Rustyt1953]

$1K per shot. Make 'em count.

 

[TX-Dennis]

Wish I had screenshot it, but I just saw a post from a San Angelo TX news website that had the headline:

YANKEE RODENT-WORSHIPPERS HAIL FURRY PROGNOSTICATION.

 

[SMSgt]

I always thought the whole Groundhog Day thing was silly . Another excuse to dress up funny and drink ..

Well that's not so special.