Groundhog's day, the scam of a lifetime.

[conuly]

Listen up. In six weeks is the equinox. So no matter what, it's six weeks between now and the first day of spring. If the groundhog sees his shadow, that doesn't mean there's six more weeks of winter, and if he doesn't that doesn't mean that there's six more weeks to spring - in fact, if you think about it, both statements mean the exact same thing.

Personally, of course, I prefer the old system. Midwinter and Midsummer are the solstices. Midway between them are the equinoxes (midfall and midspring). Midway between solstice and equinox is the first day of the season, and today is therefore the first day of spring.

Happy spring, guys.

Edit: Guys, I know that the current system places the first day of spring at the equinox. I don't like this system, and prefer to consider the equinox the middle of spring, not the start. It makes more sense to me.

Comments

[genepool23.livejournal.com]

Literalist!

We wanna beleive in the rodent meteorologist! And Bill Murray and Chris Elliot, too! And beginning sentences with conjunctions!

[mortaine.livejournal.com]

Well, see, if the groundhog sees his shadow, there's six more weeks of winter. And if he doesn't, then it's only a month and a half before spring! See?

Also: Groundhog's Day is Candlemas as well as a bunch of lovely old holidays celebrating the return of light. I love the fact that in our modern, urban world, it has warped into this little animus critter, the groundhog, as our divine Seer, to summon back the Light of Spring.

Remember to light candles tonight to welcome the light back. I know I will [okay, birthday candles, but still....]

[conuly]

Well, see, if the groundhog sees his shadow, there's six more weeks of winter. And if he doesn't, then it's only a month and a half before spring!

*glares*

2. Yes, Candlemas rocks.

[shenya.livejournal.com]

But but but ... it's not supposed to be autumn yet :(. How am I suppose to get my washing dry if it's autumn already?

*giggle*

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

Roll on The Dry!



- One hot lil Naiiad

[demonkoala.livejournal.com]

I can't say I know much about groundhog day, but it's not quite spring yet.

[conuly]

How do you know?

[demonkoala.livejournal.com]

Looking in encyclopedias and other reports etc. Spring is always said to start around March 20/21, and it's the time of my birthday, so I've always remembered this. :)

[conuly]

That's the equinox. That system also has summer and winter starting on the solstices. However, as I explained in my post, the old system considered the solstices to be midwinter and midsummer. The first days of winter and summer were Halloween and May Day. Using this logic, the equinox would be the middle of spring instead of the beginning, and the first day of spring would be today, Candlemas.

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Yay! I, too, prefer to consider the equinoxes and the solstices the middle of the season rather than the beginning - it's not called 'midsummer' or 'midwinter' for nothing, after all. And for meteorologists, the season doesn't start with the equinox/ solstice, either - at least over here: They have different starting points, not quite "in the middle" (so they do not correspond to the other Pagan holidays) but several weeks different from the 'calendar' season nonetheless.

So yeah, happy spring to you, too!

[genepool23.livejournal.com]

Literalist!

We wanna beleive in the rodent meteorologist! And Bill Murray and Chris Elliot, too! And beginning sentences with conjunctions!

[jacob5664]

Rodent meteorologists are non-existent. Groundhogs will come out when they want. What you believe is fictional. Its not like the groundhog has an office in it's hole where it tells the weather.

[conuly]

I'm not sure which is the most disturbing - the fact that you made three comments to a post from over nine years ago, the fact that you apparently didn't bother to read my post before replying to it, or the fact that you clearly have no sense of humor. It's like a three-way tie.

[mortaine.livejournal.com]

Well, see, if the groundhog sees his shadow, there's six more weeks of winter. And if he doesn't, then it's only a month and a half before spring! See?

Also: Groundhog's Day is Candlemas as well as a bunch of lovely old holidays celebrating the return of light. I love the fact that in our modern, urban world, it has warped into this little animus critter, the groundhog, as our divine Seer, to summon back the Light of Spring.

Remember to light candles tonight to welcome the light back. I know I will [okay, birthday candles, but still....]

[conuly]

Well, see, if the groundhog sees his shadow, there's six more weeks of winter. And if he doesn't, then it's only a month and a half before spring!

*glares*

2. Yes, Candlemas rocks.

[jacob5664]

This is completely untrue. Regardless whether it sees it's shadow, you see shadows in all seasons. And it would be more common to see your shadow in the spring rather than the winter, because the Sun shines more in the spring than the winter.

[shenya.livejournal.com]

But but but ... it's not supposed to be autumn yet :(. How am I suppose to get my washing dry if it's autumn already?

*giggle*

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

Roll on The Dry!



- One hot lil Naiiad

[demonkoala.livejournal.com]

I can't say I know much about groundhog day, but it's not quite spring yet.

[conuly]

How do you know?

[demonkoala.livejournal.com]

Looking in encyclopedias and other reports etc. Spring is always said to start around March 20/21, and it's the time of my birthday, so I've always remembered this. :)

[conuly]

That's the equinox. That system also has summer and winter starting on the solstices. However, as I explained in my post, the old system considered the solstices to be midwinter and midsummer. The first days of winter and summer were Halloween and May Day. Using this logic, the equinox would be the middle of spring instead of the beginning, and the first day of spring would be today, Candlemas.

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Yay! I, too, prefer to consider the equinoxes and the solstices the middle of the season rather than the beginning - it's not called 'midsummer' or 'midwinter' for nothing, after all. And for meteorologists, the season doesn't start with the equinox/ solstice, either - at least over here: They have different starting points, not quite "in the middle" (so they do not correspond to the other Pagan holidays) but several weeks different from the 'calendar' season nonetheless.

So yeah, happy spring to you, too!

Not true at all.

[jacob5664]

Groundhog Day seems dumb to me. Groundhogs are not meteorologists. They don't know a thing about meteorology. Only pinheads would believe in it. When I was a kid, I believed in Groundhog Day, but now, I don't. It makes no sense how an animal could tell the seasons for us, they can't even talk. Its not like a groundhog is going to pop out of it's hole and say, "Spring in 6 weeks". And you can see shadows in the winter, spring, summer, and fall. Regardless whether the groundhog see it's shadow, its still untrue. It may be a 'national' holiday, but it's still the weirdest of them all. Sorry if I sound rude, I'm not, just making good points.

Re: Not true at all.

[conuly]

Except you're not, because Groundhog's Day is just a joke. Sees his shadow, six more weeks of winter. Doesn't see his shadow, six more weeks until spring. Get it? Six weeks either way?