Today is Groundhog Day.  When you think of Groundhog Day, you probably think of that cheesy movie with Bill Murray from 1993 (the same year I graduated high school, scary). But actually, there is some history to good ole’ “Punxsutawney Phil”.

German settlers landed in Punxsutawney, Philadelphia in the 1700’s.  They brought with them a tradition known as “Candlemas Day”.

Candlemas Day is a Christian feast commemorating the purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple.

The German shepherd would rather see a wolf enter his stable on Candlemas Day than the sun.  A proverbial belief in Germany concerning Candlemas is that the badger peeps out of his hole on that day, and if he finds snow walks abroad; but if he sees the sun shining, he draws back into his hole.-NY Times 1899

The Germans brought this superstition back with them to America. But the badger is substituted in America for the groundhog which is from the squirrel family is substituted. Did they say squirrel family? You know that I’m a huge fan of squirrels!

Here is the Candlemas Religious Citation that was recited by the Germans:

If Candlemas day be fair and bright, Winter will have another flight. If Candlemas day brings clouds and rain, Winter is gone and won’t come again.

So that is the history of Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil. But do you want some interesting facts?

• The average groundhog is 20 inches long and normally weighs from 12 to 15 pounds. Punxsutawney Phil weighs about 20 pounds and is 22 inches long.
• A groundhog’s life span is normally 6 to 8 years. Phil receives a drink of a magical punch every summer during the annual Groundhog Picnic, which gives him 7 more years of life.
• In 1981 Phil wore a yellow ribbon in honor of the American hostages in Iran.
• In 2001, Phil’s prediction was shown live on the JumboTron at Times Square in New York City.

Do you want to celebrate Groundhog Day with the kiddos? Explain it to them in kid-fashion.  Here are some sites with cute crafts for Groundhog Day.

Enchanted Learning

Kaboose

Check out the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to see what Phil saw today!

My awesome groundhog picture was found on the Interwebs. It was everywhere. I had to use “this” one, cause it looks Angry!

UPDATE:::Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning and forecast six more weeks of winter.

The 4th of July is on Saturday. What a fabulous day for the 4th. I’m off work on Saturday, along with Angry Husband and the rest of the family. On Saturday morning, I’m doing the Surf City Run in Huntington Beach.

Everywhere I go online, I see that people are posting about things to do on the 4th, food to make, or desserts to take. I’ve found some great items online and wanted to share with my readers.

Cupcake Kabobs
Kristin from the Meringue Bake Shop has done it again. She posted a tutorial on how to make these awesome cupcake kabobs on the OC Register’s Mom Blog today.

Star*Spangled Fun

Disney’s Family Fun Magazine has a list of 4th of July crafts on their website.

Celebrate Independence Day with clever party invitations, easy-to-make crafts, and star-spangled decorations.

Look at their site to find out how to make this Musical Stars and Stripes Patriotic Wind Chime.

Spinach Salad with Strawberries

Are you serving the usual hamburgers and hot dogs for the 4th. Do you want some unique and different ideas to go along with all that protein? What about a spinach salad with strawberries and raspberry vinaigrette?

This salad was featured in the Kansas City Examiner. It looks delicious and simple to make. All of the ingredients are listed on their site.

Rosemary Peach Lemonade

Would you like a non-alcoholic drink that you could serve to anyone? Something different than the usual lemonade? I found this Rosemary Peach Lemonade on the Food Network’s site.

I hope everyone has a great 4th this weekend. I have a big post coming up…500, yes 500 posts!!! My next post will be my 500th!!!!

The first photo picture is from Flickr.