February 2 is Ground Hog Day. Test your knowledge about Ground Hogs and their special day.
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1. In Europe the hedgehog was used as the ‘predictor’ of weather. What American immigrants first substituted the ground hog for the hedgehog? ________________
2. There are Ground Hog Day celebrations in many states of the U.S. Why has Ground Hog Day never really caught on in the western United States, including Montana?_________________
3. Punxsutawney Phil (in Pennsylvania) is one of the most famous weather prognosticators. How often over the past decade has Phil been correct in his forecast? _____________________
4. In many parts of Europe Candlemas is celebrated on February 2, the midpoint of winter. In the past priests would bless candles on that day. What did the length of the candles tell people? ___________________
5. Here’s a little factoid about Montana: Until COVID the Roxy Theatre in Missoula celebrated Ground Hog Day with a unique event. How was February 2 celebrated at the movie theatre? ___________________
Bonus question: What animal in Montana is most similar to the ground hog?________
ANSWERS:
1. The Pennsylvania Dutch, wanting to keep the tradition of an animal predicting the length of winter, settled on the ground hog as there were no hedgehogs in the U.S. Other places around the world rely on bears, frogs and hedgehogs to predict the length of winter.
2. Most western states and Montana, in particular have no ground hogs. Last and only sighting of a ground hog in the Treasure State was in 1895 on the MT/Idaho border.
3. Phil was right about 40% of the time over the past decade. Some people ask “How many ground hogs have ‘played’ Punxsutawney Phil since his predictions were first noted in 1886?” The Ground Hog Club that runs the annual Ground Hog show in Gobblers Knob, Pennsylvania says it’s always been the same Phil who survives on a special ‘elixir’ the handlers give the famous rodent to drink.
4. The length of candles predicted the number of days of winter still ahead. In many parts of Europe the day was also celebrated as the Day of Presentation—when Christ was taken to the temple as a baby. February 2 is 40 days after Jesus’ birth on December 25. Our modern day tradition of putting candles in house windows for holiday decorations grew out of Candlemas and the blessing of the candles.
5. For several years the Roxy Theatre held a marathon showing of the 1993 movie “Ground Hog Day” starring Bill Murray and Andie McDowell. If audience members stayed for all seven showings they won movie passes, etc. At the last showing, before 2019, there were 50 participants.
- Bonus question: Marmots are found mostly in the mountainous regions of Montana. The MT FWP website shows a ‘range map’ for yellow-bellied marmots that does include “the Breaks” in southern Blaine County. Locals say they have seen marmots in the Bear Paws also.
One more thing about Ground Hog Day—a local connection.
Robby Lucke, a local writer who lived in Havre, wrote often about the Bear Paws. Starting in the mid-1980’s and in to the early 2000s Robby wrote a bi-monthly column about events in and around the Bear Paws and specifically Beaver Creek Park. Readers of a certain age will remember his pen name for those columns was “Howdy Beaver.”
A week after Ground Hog Day in 1986 Robby penned a story about a new, local weather predictor, Marmaduke Marmot. With great detail he described the location of Marmaduke Marmot’s den in White Pine Gulch. Locals in that area verified to me there really is such a location. But the rest of the story was pure Robby with Little People gathering to see Marmaduke come out of his cave, talking animals from around the area arriving for the prediction and the all day celebration that followed Marmaduke’s forecast.
Trying to run down this story I was told by more than one person, ”Robby liked to embellish a story.” Not likely ever to be in the same category of fame as Punxsutawney Phil, the mention of Marmaduke Marmot did bring smiles to more than one local who recalled the story and the author. I’m sure Robby Lucke would be please.
