It's the lamest holiday on the calendar, but Happy Groundhog Day

It's February 2nd, so everyone knows it is Groundhog Day.  It really is a pretty lame holiday.  There has always been a part of me that, when looking at the calendar every year, takes notice that the company that produced that calendar types in, "Groundhog Day," on February 2nd so it shows up in print.  I decided today to research this interesting holiday to find out more about its furry little history.  Here are some facts I learned today:

• Pennsylvania's earliest settlers were Germans and they found groundhogs in many parts of the state. They determined that the groundhog, resembling the European hedgehog, was a most intelligent and sensible animal and therefore decided that if the sun did appear on February 2nd, so wise an animal as the groundhog would see its shadow and hurry back into its underground home for another six weeks of winter.
• The first official Groundhog Day was celebrated on February 2, 1886 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, with a proclamation in The Punxsutawney Spirit by the newspaper's editor, Clymer Freas: "Today is groundhog day and up to the time of going to press the beast has not seen its shadow."
• The small town of Punxsutawney, with its population of 6,036, takes about half an hour to walk through - it's only 3.4 square miles. On Feb. 2, the town more than quintuples its size - with crowds numbering in the 30,000's.

The 1993 film, "Groundhog Day," brought this strange holiday and the small town where this rodent is celebrated into the spotlight.  Most of you reading this post have seen this hysterical movie numerous times.  If you haven't, turn your television to the AMC channel today because it is playing all day long.  The movie is so funny and places a very cynical, pessimistic, self absorbed weatherman in the middle of a town celebrating a silly tradition that centers around a groundhog.  He hates the cheesy traditions.  He hates the friendly, small-town people and their generous ways.  He even kidnaps the groundhog at one part of the movie (one of my favorite scenes), lets it sit on his lap and steer the truck he stole, and let's just say that day ends poorly for them both.  But, if you know how the movie goes, Phil wakes at 6:00 a.m. the next morning and gets to start all over again.

Groundhog Day does not celebrate a religious event, a pagan holiday, or the birth of a president or iconic civil rights leader.  It does not recognize the explorer who discovered the New World, the veterans who have served our country, or the people who work hard to support their families.  To me, Groundhog Day is a day to take a look back where a simpler time used simpler methods to live a simpler life.  We all love the images from the Doppler Extreme Mega Radar 5000, but try to think how it would be if you asked a big fat woodchuck, "How's the weather out there?"  I know it may seem ironic to be discussing, "simpler times," while posting a blog to the world wide web on my laptop.  However, I do think we all need to remember where we come from.  No, I did not come from Punxsutawney, PA.  I'm just saying that some of those old traditions, as outdated, inaccurate, or cheesy as they are, are no longer there for actually predicting the weather or letting the farmers know if they have enough hay to feed their livestock for winter.  They are still celebrated to keep those connections with the people who worked their fingers to the bone to make a life.  It reminds us of a time when people let themselves relinquish control over the things they had no control over to begin with.  In today's world, we have all different options that help us control every aspect of our (and others') lives.  What takes real control is allowing yourself to let it go.

Sometimes, nothing is harder than simplicity and submission.  Total control can be exhausting, so relax, and trust a groundhog.  Spring is coming early this year.