Sunday, October 2, 2011

Groundhog Day - A Little Science

Groundhogs day is the second of February, where groundhogs emerge from their burrows early in the morning. Once they're out of the burrow they do one of two things: either they continue with what they started, or they go back for 6 more weeks.

The legend says that when they emerge in a sunny day and they see their shadows they predict 6 more weeks of harsh winter and decide to hide in their burrows for 6 more weeks. If that day is cloudy and they don't see their shadows they predict a nice spring weather in 2 weeks and they stay.

Money wise it's a nice idea. People gather early in the mornings for the groundhogs day festivals where they are celebrated and tourists spend money on their transportation, accommodation, food, and entertainment. Relying on those predictions is another story.