Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions on Feb. 2 will let us know if more winter is in store, or if warmer, sunnier days are closer at hand. The loveable rodent may have some ancient Gaelic roots from ancient times and a pagan celebration known as Imbolc.
The first official Groundhog Day was celebrated in the 1800’s in Punxsutawney and was possibly a carry-over tradition for Pennsylvania’s earliest settlers who were German. It’s thought that they brought a tradition of weather prediction that was associated with hedgehogs from their homeland. You won’t find any hedgehogs in Gobbler’s Knob, hedgehogs are not indigenous in North America, so they chose groundhogs as a replacement. HedgehogCentral.com has even dedicated a page to the insectivore and earliest weather prognosticator.
Also associated to the evolution of Groundhog Day is Candlemas Day, which is a Christian festival of lights, also known as Mariä Lichtmess in German, as well as having various other names related to Jesus, the Virgin and traditionally marks the halfway point between the shortest day and the spring equinox. Some sources say it has to do with Feb. 2 being the 40th day after Christmas and that’s the purpose of the celebration. Whatever the Roman Catholic roots, the pagan ones go back a bit further.
Nick Rivituso is a Charles County resident and a practicing Wiccan. Rivituso studies and worships with a group in Laurel known as Circle of the Silver Phoenix. He told The Bay Net that Southern Maryland has very limited resources for pagan and neopagan worshippers and that he hopes some day to become a High Priest and bring more resources to the pagan community of Southern Maryland.
“I have looked far and wide for pagan resources in Southern Maryland. Perhaps I have not come across the right resources, but there just doesn’t seem to be much opportunity for pagans in Southern Maryland.”
Rivituso told The Bay Net that though there are many different traditions; Imbolc is most widely known in the pagan community as a celebration of the Celtic Goddess Brigid. This year Imbolc will have the added benefit for the moon revering religion because a full moon will hang over the Imbolc celebrations this year.
“It’s a time to find creativity and to connect with Brigid and to appeal to her when you creative fires dwindle. She is a triple goddess, maiden, mother and crone. “
In fact yet another tradition incarnation at the beginning of February is St. Brigid’s day, which is theorized to be yet another variant of the pagan sabbat, or religious holiday, of the Celtic Brigid. St. Brigid of Ireland may actually be a later assimilation of the fertility and fire goddess Celtic Brigid.
Those interested or curious about paganism can find various online sources.
Rivituso recommends Open Hearth Foundation and
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