Groundhog Day | JOY for Today

(Updated 1/19/2024)

"Groundhog" by Maureen Farrelly at Public Domain Pictures

Find JOY today in an annual tradition that, though somewhat silly, brings HOPE to many! Dare to HOPE that warmth will rise again in your life.

Groundhog Offerings:

• Did You Know... Facts about Groundhog Day
• Wolfe Stew Connects To hope.
• Bible Verses About the changing of the seasons.
• Activity Suggestions Make predictions, watch the event, have a snack, research, and create art.

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS:

• National Pizza Day
• National Inventors' Day
• Valentine's Day

Did You Know Groundhog Day is:

1. Also known as Imbolc (Pagan) or Candlemas (Christian)?
2. A good marker of the seasons? Set halfway between winter solstice and spring equinox, it logically makes sense to position season-ending forecasting efforts here.
3. Not the original way people would predict winter's end? To Christian Candlemas observers, a sunny Candlemas day foretold 40 more days of winter.
4. A custom brought to America by the Germans? In Europe, Germans decided if small animals (such as badgers) could see their shadows then the day was officially sunny. When they settled Pennsylvania, the custom continued with the substitution of the groundhog. 
5.  Only accurate about half of the time? More often than not, Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, predicting a longer winter.

Read on at history.com and USA Today.

We'd Love to Know:

Of another Groundhog Day fact you know.

Wolfe Stew Connects

Groundhog Day signifies hope. Hope amid a gloomy winter. Hope that spring might come early. Hope that an early spring heralds hope in our personal plights too. 

This year, we're learning to FIGHT through our plights. We're learning to RISE this February. If you want to RISE with us, we'd love to have you. We've made a GROWTH for Today calendar with daily tasks to help you RISE toward personal change. It is a struggle, encouragement helps, and it starts when you RISE. Know we're learning to RISE right along with you.

We'd Love to Know:

What Groundhog Day means to you.

Bible Verses to Inspire

• "You made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to set." Psalm 104:19 (NLT)
• "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." Psalm 27:14 (KJV)
• "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou has ordained; What is man, that thou are mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" Psalm 8:3-4 (BRG)
• "Even the stork that flies across the sky knows the time of her migration, as do the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane. They all return at the proper time each year. But not my people! They do not know the Lord's laws." -Jeremiah 8:7 (NLT)
• "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." Job 12:7-10 (NIV)

 We'd Love to Know:

Which of these verses helps you see better? What's one we missed?

Activity Suggestions

1. Predict (and graph) if Phil will see his shadow with Boy Mama Teacher Mama. (Alternatively, we had kids color and cut out a groundhog then glue them on butcher paper to record their prediction. Pictograph in action!) 
2. Watch if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow at VisitPA.com.
3. Snack on groundhog peanut butter toast with Fork and Beans. (So cute!)
4. Engage in Groundhog Day or World Marmot (aka groundhog) research with Education World
5. Make a Groundhog pop-up craft from Coloring Rocks or directed drawing activity with Proud to Be Primary.

We'd Love to Know: 

How do you celebrate Groundhog Day?

We’re excited to share one more day with you and wish you JOY for Today and HOPE for Tomorrow.

Fighting the Good Fight with You,

Sample these related posts:

To go on a ABC Nature Walk to visit a marmot...
...or a prairie dog.

To connect with finding hope.

To find a resource on probability with colors...

or for using predicting in reading.

Find even more JOY for Today in our monthly calendars, holiday, and seasonal posts.