Folklore: Canada’s weather marmots call for early spring

Canada’s best-known weather forecasting groundhogs called for an early spring Tuesday as they delivered their annual forecast via video due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although one was missing.

Nova Scotia’s most famous groundhog, Shubenacadie Sam, was the first to make his prediction, hesitantly emerging from his pint-sized barn and apparently failing to see his shadow.

At exactly 8 a.m. local time, the door to Sam’s enclosure opened, but the chubby rodent initially refused to come out.

As a winter storm battered the Maritimes overnight, there was a steady snowfall as Sam emerged from his den and waddled a few steps from the front door.

The annual tradition at Shubenacadie Wildlife Park, north of Halifax, usually attracts dozens of school children, but not this year. There were few onlookers on Tuesday as the event was streamed live on Facebook to comply with COVID-19 health protocols.

As usual, Shubenacadie Sam was the first groundhog in North America to make a prediction.

In Val d’Espoir, in Quebec’s Gaspésie, Fred La Marmotte was also hesitant to leave his miniature cabin.

When the rodent finally emerged during the live-streamed event, its handler held it to his ear and said he predicted an early spring.

In Wiarton, Ont., the community’s famous albino marmot, Wiarton Willie, was nowhere in sight as officials called for an early spring after throwing a fur hat into the air – a decision that, according to them, recalls the first edition of the tradition more than 60 years ago.

“The committee decided to honor the first prediction (which did not include a groundhog, only a fur hat) as it was the 65th anniversary this year and we were unable to hold a live event at because of COVID,” the city deputy said. clerk said in an email.

The spring forecast was presented by Janice Jackson, Mayor of the Town of South Bruce Peninsula, in a pre-recorded video that also included a brief history of the event.

Meanwhile, those south of the border were told to expect another six weeks of winter when Punxsutawney Phil, from Pennsylvania, emerged from his burrow.

The creature served its Groundhog Day live duties, with over 15,000 viewers at one point. No spectators were allowed in person due to the pandemic, but cardboard cutouts were included to mimic their presence.

A member of Phil’s “inner circle” commented on the uniqueness of the past year.

“People have referred to Groundhog Day. Sometimes I felt like I was all living the same day over and over,” said one of the members. “Groundhog Day also shows us that the monotony is ending. The cycle will be broken.

According to folklore, if a groundhog does not see its shadow on Groundhog Day, spring weather will soon arrive. However, if the snub-nosed creature spots its shadow, winter will drag on forever.

Folklorists say the Groundhog Day ritual may have something to do with the February 2 landing midway between the winter solstice and spring equinox, but no one knows for sure.

In medieval Europe, farmers believed that if hedgehogs came out of their burrows to catch insects, it was a sure sign of an early spring.

However, when Europeans settled in eastern North America, the groundhog replaced the hedgehog.

-with files from the Associated Press

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on February 2, 2021.

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