Call me strange, but next to the Fourth of July, Groundhog Day is my favorite secular holiday. I am from Indiana, Pennsylvania, about a 30-minute drive from Punxsutawney, so Punxsutawney Phil and his groundhog wife, Phyllis, were basically my neighbors.
Even so, attending the annual Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney on February 2 remained a bucket list item for me, until my editor at Mt. Lebanon Magazine got so sick of me talking about it that he decided to send me there to cover it back in 2018 (thanks, Merle)! The experience completely shattered my expectations—the excitement of the freezing crowd, the fireworks and performers, Phil’s great appearance—it was truly bizarre and amazing, all at once.
Through covering the event, I learned more about Groundhog Day than I ever expected to, including its origins in Candlemas. Evidently, settlers in Punxsutawney in the late 1800s were trying to prove an old German Candlemas legend involving a hedgehog, so they decided to pull an angry groundhog from hibernation—thus creating the secular holiday.
Candlemas, however, is very much a religious holiday. Essentially, Candlemas is the day we celebrate the Presentation of the Lord, when, 40 days after Jesus’ birth, Mary and Joseph brought Him to the temple to be consecrated, and Simeon declared Him the Messiah (Luke 2:34-35). Because Christ is the light that came to dispel darkness, the liturgy and music at Candlemas often focuses on themes of light, and the priest blesses candles that are to be used in Masses throughout the year.
Back in the day, people would often leave their Christmas garlands up until Candlemas, as it can be considered the end of the Christmas story. This year, Candlemas falls incredibly close to the start of Lent, on February 18, which can be seen as a time of darkness. So if you can, enjoy the light and joy of Candlemas—either by reading the Gospel of Luke or by attending Mass (and if you are like me, you will check Phil’s forecast that day for a chuckle as well).
This issue offers many Lenten resources, including the annual Fish Fry Directory on page 16, a column from Father J. Patrick Manning on the passage of time through Lent on page 22, a recipe for a Lenten lasagna with a reflection from Father James Korda on page 26 and much more! We hope these resources come in handy as you approach your Lenten fast.
A very blessed Lent to you and yours.
Until next time,
Katie Wagner
