Highlights Archives
Groundhog Day and Other Wisconsin Folklore
Monday, February 2, is Groundhog Day, when humble Marmota monax reveals how much of winter is left. Here in Wisconsin, we associate it with Sun Prairie's annual celebration, but in northern Europe its history stretches back uncounted centuries. With three other "cross-quarters" of the year, February second falls midway between the first day of winter and the first day of spring. Ancient peoples called it Imbolg, Oimelc, Brigit's Eve, and Candlemas, but it was always the earliest date that they looked for the return of spring, which they thought was signaled by the emergence of hibernating creatures.
The "Pennsylvania Dutch" are believed to have brought this tradition to America from Germany in the 18th century. One of the earliest mentions of Groundhog Day says,* "One might as well attempt to prevail upon the Dutch farmers of Pennsylvania to discard the Bible or the Dutch Almanac, as the Ground-Hog sign."
Later German immigrants may have brought it to Wisconsin. In 1865 the Milwaukee Sentinel thought its readers would be interested in this passage, reprinted from a Kentucky newspaper:** "Thursday was what is known among the old Pennsylvania and many Western farmers and hunters as 'Ground-Hog' day, and the day that, for the first time since he went into winter quarters, the ground-hog comes forth from his hole. If he sees his shadow, he returns forthwith to slumber off another long term of hard weather."
For more Wisconsin customs, simply type "folklore" into the search box at Turning Points in Wisconsin History. Traditional Wisconsin holidays are also described in Lillian Krueger's article, "Social Life in Wisconsin," in the Wisconsin Magazine of History and dozens of pictures of holiday celebrations can be seen at Wisconsin Historical Images.
* The Omaha Nebraskian, February 18, 1860 (this is the earliest use of the phrase so far discovered in online books and periodicals, but there are probably earlier ones not yet in electronic formats).
** Milwaukee Daily Sentinel, February 09, 1865. This is the first mention of Groundhog Day found so far in Wisconsin; there appears to be no mention of the tradition in Sun Prairie until sometime after 1923.
:: Posted February 2, 2009
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