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I am so so sooo sick of hearing "the groundhog saw his shadow! It's going to be a long winter!", and NOT just because it's an idiotic superstition. Let's examine this superstition.
The groundhog sees his shadow: six more weeks of winter... In 42 days, it will be about March 16th. A few days after that is the vernal equinox.
The groundhog doesn't see his shadow: six more weeks till spring... In 42 days, it will STILL be about March 16th. Six weeks doesn't change depending on shadowspotting. And a few days after that, it will STILL be the vernal equinox.
IT'S A SCAM! STOP LISTENING TO THAT CRAP!
I also have a question: Why did we ever start calling "midwinter" and "midsummer" the start of winter and summer? I think the older system made more sense. The longest day of winter/summer should, logically, occur in the middle, with a brief period of "getting darker" and "getting lighter" surrounding the solstice. That is, I believe, the way it used to be, with what we now call the midpoints (if we think about them at all) being the start of the seasons.
The groundhog sees his shadow: six more weeks of winter... In 42 days, it will be about March 16th. A few days after that is the vernal equinox.
The groundhog doesn't see his shadow: six more weeks till spring... In 42 days, it will STILL be about March 16th. Six weeks doesn't change depending on shadowspotting. And a few days after that, it will STILL be the vernal equinox.
IT'S A SCAM! STOP LISTENING TO THAT CRAP!
I also have a question: Why did we ever start calling "midwinter" and "midsummer" the start of winter and summer? I think the older system made more sense. The longest day of winter/summer should, logically, occur in the middle, with a brief period of "getting darker" and "getting lighter" surrounding the solstice. That is, I believe, the way it used to be, with what we now call the midpoints (if we think about them at all) being the start of the seasons.
