Thoughts on Groundhog Day
When will we carry this pagan ritual out to its natural conclusion, by slaughtering the pig upon the stump from which it is drawn?
Or, I guess we could attempt to integrate this festival into the liturgy of the Church (I think some of my old roommates attempted to do this with MLK, Jr., Day). The Feast of St. Peter Pan, who may or may not see his shadow. I don't know, I'm just going stream-of-consciousness here. Sort of like freestyle walking.
Or, I guess we could attempt to integrate this festival into the liturgy of the Church (I think some of my old roommates attempted to do this with MLK, Jr., Day). The Feast of St. Peter Pan, who may or may not see his shadow. I don't know, I'm just going stream-of-consciousness here. Sort of like freestyle walking.
posted by Qahal at 8:46 AM
2 Comments:
Don't be too hard on the pagan rituals, there is a lot of Catholicism here:
"February 2nd in the liturgical calendar is the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, the feast that commemorates the presentation of her Son in the Temple 40 days after his birth. It was on this occasion that the aged Simeon declared the infant Jesus a “light for the revelation of the gentiles.” Traditionally, candles are blessed on the feast, with a prayer that “just as visible fire dispels the shadows of the night, so may invisible fire, that is, the brightness of the Holy Spirit, free us from the blindness of every vice.”
Simeon’s prophecy led to a folk belief that the weather of February 2nd had a prognostic value. If the sun shone for the greater part of the day, there would be 40 more days of winter, but if the skies were overcast, there would be an early spring. The badger was added later in Germany, but the Germans who emigrated to Pennsylvania could only find what native Americans in the area called a wojak, or woodchuck. Since the Indians considered the groundhog a wise animal, it seemed only natural to appoint him, as we learn in the movie, “Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators.”
The ground of Groundhog Day, in other words, is Catholic. And . . . our secular celebration of the day unwittingly echoes a deeper truth about the Light revealed to the gentiles . . ."
From http://touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=17-03-012-v
There may be a lot of Catholicism in the movie, but I'm not so sure about Groundhog Day itself. You're right to a certain degree. Feb 2 certainly has Catholic significance. Perhaps in my haste I was overlooking the Latin Church's celebration of "Candlemas" followed today by the Feast of St. Blase.
The Church obviously uses the seasons to promote deeper mysteries within its liturgy. Because Feb. 2 falls halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, there is already a natural significance to it. Light is beginning to shine forth from the darkness of the solstice. And it just so happens that it is pretty much the half-way point between the Nativity and Easter. So I definitely see the symbolism of the timing and how it relates to the seasons.
However, despite its roots, the progression of the festival has made it more superstitious than symbolic. There doesn't seem to be any symbolic meaning behind the 40 days of winter vs. early spring. It sounds like a superstition procured by farmers. Maybe I'm just being a party pooper here, but I say slaughter the hog.
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