Weather Prognostication Day
Happy Imbolc
Imbolc is traditionally a time of weather prognostication, and the old tradition of watching to see if serpents or badgers came from their winter dens is perhaps a precursor to the Northern American Groundhog Day.
According to Katharine Brigg's An Encyclopedia of Fairies Imbolc is the day the Cailleach (the hag of Gaelic tradition) gathers her firewood for the rest of the winter. Legend has it that if she intends to make the winter last a good while longer, she will make sure the weather on Imbolc is bright and sunny, so she can gather plenty of firewood. Therefore, people are generally relieved if Imbolc is a day of foul weather, as it means the Cailleach is asleep and winter is almost over.
Happy Groundhog Day
And for those of you who need a fuzzy critter for a pre-dawn celebration in early February, Manitoba Merv made his annual appearance today at Oak Hammock Marsh. Merv's eyes were a wee bit glassy in the dawn chill, neither he, nor his adoring public, could see his shadow so according to the folklore, that means an early spring for us here in Manitoba. Wiarton Willie (Ontario), Shubenacadie Sam (Nova Scotia) and Spanish Joe (Ontario) are forecasting six more weeks of winter out east, but Balzac Billy (Alberta) agrees with Manitoba Merv on an early spring for the west. If you would like to check out more famous groundhog prognostications for 2010, click here ....
Imbolc is traditionally a time of weather prognostication, and the old tradition of watching to see if serpents or badgers came from their winter dens is perhaps a precursor to the Northern American Groundhog Day.
According to Katharine Brigg's An Encyclopedia of Fairies Imbolc is the day the Cailleach (the hag of Gaelic tradition) gathers her firewood for the rest of the winter. Legend has it that if she intends to make the winter last a good while longer, she will make sure the weather on Imbolc is bright and sunny, so she can gather plenty of firewood. Therefore, people are generally relieved if Imbolc is a day of foul weather, as it means the Cailleach is asleep and winter is almost over.
Happy Groundhog Day
And for those of you who need a fuzzy critter for a pre-dawn celebration in early February, Manitoba Merv made his annual appearance today at Oak Hammock Marsh. Merv's eyes were a wee bit glassy in the dawn chill, neither he, nor his adoring public, could see his shadow so according to the folklore, that means an early spring for us here in Manitoba. Wiarton Willie (Ontario), Shubenacadie Sam (Nova Scotia) and Spanish Joe (Ontario) are forecasting six more weeks of winter out east, but Balzac Billy (Alberta) agrees with Manitoba Merv on an early spring for the west. If you would like to check out more famous groundhog prognostications for 2010, click here ....
posted by Tracy at 12:22 PM
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