Groundhog Day (Eysseric)

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 3s followed by 2s+1s dance down for 2 bars, set and dance up backwards and Petronella turn to original place (Ladies pull back RSh, Men LSh)
9-16 1s dance ½ Fig of 8 down round 2s, 1s cast 1 place (2s step up bar 13-14) and cross up to their original place (2s step down 15-16)
17-24 1s+2s set and rotate:
 Set, rotate singly and dance on 1 place clockwise, change places RSh on sides and dance on 1 place to own sides (1s in 2nd place)
25-32 2s+1s+3s circle left for 6 steps, pivot left and chase back to places. 213

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

Keith Rose's Crib Diagram

Groundhog Day (Eysseric) - Full Size And Key To Symbols

Dance Information

Groundhog Day is a folk tradition celebrated in parts of the United States and Canada on 2 February each year. According to the lore, a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, and if it sees its shadow, it returns to its den, prolonging winter by six more weeks; if it does not see its shadow, it signifies an early arrival of spring. The tradition draws upon Pennsylvania Dutch superstition, which itself traces back to German customs connected to Candlemas.

The roots of the custom lie in German-speaking areas where Candlemas (also on 2 February) was linked with weather prognostication using a badger. When Germans emigrated to Pennsylvania, the tradition was adapted to the groundhog, known in local dialects as "dox" or "grundsau". The earliest known mention of a Groundhog Day observation in the United States is in a diary entry dated 2 February 1840 in Pennsylvania.

The most well-known Groundhog Day gathering is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, centred around a creature called Punxsutawney Phil. Reports of celebrations at Punxsutawney date to 1886, and the first officially recognised event is often cited as occurring in 1887. The local groundhog was not given the name "Phil" until 1961, possibly as a nod to Prince Philip. In modern times, the Punxsutawney gathering draws large crowds - sometimes tens of thousands - and is broadcast live.

Various towns in the U.S., as well as parts of Canada (such as Nova Scotia), host their own Groundhog Day ceremonies. In Nova Scotia, a groundhog named Shubenacadie Sam is used to make a weather prediction, and other Canadian towns maintain analogous traditions.

Statistical studies of the predictions suggest they are little better than chance. For example, Punxsutawney Phil's predicted forecasts have accuracy rates reported at roughly 36% to 40% over various time periods. A 2021 study comparing hundreds of forecasts from multiple groundhogs to the actual onset of spring concluded that the predictions are no more accurate than random guessing.

Groundhog Day has parallels with other weather-predicting customs. In the British Isles, the folklore of Candlemas once included belief that if the weather was clear on the day, winter would persist. In parts of Gaelic tradition, 1 February (St Brigid's Day) was used as a marker of seasonal change.

The tradition became widely known internationally after the 1993 film Groundhog Day, which popularised the event far beyond its regional origins.

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

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