Hello everybody! We hope January went well for you, and we look forward to helping you with your English improvement this month, too. As all of you probably know, today is Setsubun, 節 分, in Japan, and traditionally, this symbolized the end of winter and the beginning of spring. In America, we also have an interesting holiday that we celebrate on February 2nd which marks the beginning of spring. This holiday is called Groundhog Day!
First of all, what is a groundhog? Well, it is a furry animal that looks a little bit like a chunky squirrel. Groundhogs burrow holes in the ground in order to stay warm in winter, stay cool in summer, and to protect themselves from other animals. They are very common in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada, and many people also call them woodchucks.
Groundhog Day actually originates from a German holiday called Candlemas Day. When thousands of German immigrants moved to the United States in the 1800's, they brought many interesting customs and traditions with them, including Candlemas Day. According to German beliefs, a hedgehog, ハリネズミ, is able to tell us if spring will start early or if we will have a long winter on this holiday. However, hedgehogs are not native to America, so as a replacement, German immigrants used the groundhog to celebrate Candlemas Day. Several years later, Americans changed the holiday's name to Groundhog Day.
The most famous celebration of Groundhog Day is in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and this small town has held a festival for this holiday every year since 1887. On the morning of February 2nd, many people come to the town to see what Punxsutawney Phil (the name of the town's official groundhog) will predict for spring. If Phil sees his shadow when he first walks outside on the 2nd, the belief is that there will be 6 more weeks of winter and cold weather. If Phil does not see his shadow, it is thought that spring has arrived early and warm weather will begin soon. Yesterday, Phil unfortunately predicted 6 more weeks of winter in 2022.
While most people don't actually believe the groundhog's prediction these days, many Americans still enjoy this celebration and watch news stories about this holiday at the begining of February. Also, in 1993, a very funny Hollywood movie was released called Groundhog Day. The film takes place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and it features many scenes with the famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil. This film is still very popular today, and many people like to watch it in winter and spring.
Are there any other unique spring traditions in Japan? Please let us know in the comments or when you visit Bridge! Take care and keep studying.
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