Groundhog Day (Kargapoltsev)

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 1s+2s set and cross RH, set and turn ¾ 2H into line up/down middle (Ladies face up, Men down)
9-16 1s+2s dance reel of 4 in the middle, remaining in middle facing partner
17-24 1s+2s set, turn RH to own side; 1s+2s set and turn partner 2H, remain in the middle facing up ready for...
25-32 1s+2s dance Allemande

(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)

Dance Instruction Videos

Dance Information

Groundhog Day is a popular folk custom observed each year on 2 February in parts of the United States and Canada. Tradition holds that a groundhog leaves its burrow on this date, and if it sees its shadow, it retreats underground, signalling six more weeks of winter. If no shadow appears, it is said to predict an early spring. The custom has its origins in Pennsylvania Dutch folklore, itself influenced by earlier German beliefs linked with Candlemas.

The celebration stems from old German-speaking regions, where Candlemas, also held on 2 February, involved predicting the weather with the help of a badger. When German settlers arrived in Pennsylvania, they replaced the badger with the groundhog, a local animal known in dialect as the "dox" or "grundsau". The earliest written reference to an American Groundhog Day appears in a Pennsylvania diary dated 2 February 1840.

The best-known Groundhog Day celebration takes place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil is the centre of attention. Records of festivities there go back to 1886, with the first official observance usually dated to 1887. The name "Phil" was not used until 1961, and may have been inspired by Prince Philip. Today, the Punxsutawney event attracts crowds of many thousands and is televised live across the country.

Other American towns, along with several Canadian communities, hold their own Groundhog Day ceremonies. In Nova Scotia, for example, a groundhog called Shubenacadie Sam is used for the weather prediction, while other provinces have developed similar local traditions.

Studies comparing groundhog forecasts with actual weather records show that the predictions perform little better than chance. Punxsutawney Phil's long-term accuracy rate has been reported at around 36 to 40 per cent. A study in 2021 analysing several groundhogs' forecasts reached the same conclusion, showing that their results were statistically no more reliable than random guessing.

Comparable customs exist elsewhere. In Britain and Ireland, Candlemas folklore once held that clear weather on that day meant a longer winter, while dull conditions foretold its early end. In Gaelic regions, 1 February, celebrated as St Brigid's Day, marked the turning point between winter and spring. Groundhog Day became widely recognised around the world after the release of the 1993 film of the same name, which brought the old Pennsylvania tradition to an international audience.

Groundhog - Marmota Flaviventris (Yellow Bellied Marmot) - Looking For His Shadow

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