“Thig an nathair as an toll , Là donn Brìde,
Ged robh trì troighean dhen t-sneachd , Air leac an làir.”

~Old Gaelic Proverb

No, I wasn’t typing this in the dark, but roughly translated from Celtic it means:

"The serpent will come from the hole, on the brown Day of Brigid,

Though there should be three feet of snow, on the flat surface of the ground."

Or more familiarly: “Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties 'cause it's cooooold out there. That's right, woodchuck chuckers, it's Groundhog Day!”

So begin some familiar lines from the 1993 Harold Ramis and Danny Rubin production of “Groundhog Day.” It’s a classic and one of my absolute all-time favorites, even if it does star Bill Murray. In addition, religious leaders have found it to be the perfect illustration of not only Christian theology, but the Buddhist belief of Samsara, the continuing cycle of rebirth, and the Jewish practice of mitzvahs or good deeds.

The date and customs of Groundhog Day, like Christmas and Easter, were borrowed from earlier so-called Pagan ceremonies already in place. (Oh yes! Where do you think the very name “Easter”, the Easter bunny, Easter eggs, chicks, Easter baskets, the very date of Dec. 25, the Christmas tree, holly, mistletoe and the Yule log came from?)

Feb. 2 marks the day, which is halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.  On this day the Celts celebrated “Imbolc,” traditionally a time of weather prognostication, celebrating the coming of spring by watching to see if serpents or badgers came our from their lairs.

The medieval Catholic observance of “Candelmas”, also known as the Purification of the Virgin, coincides with this earlier pagan observance, the Day of  Brìde or Brigid.

"If Candlemas Day is clear and bright,  winter will have another bite.

 If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain,  winter is gone and will not come again."

In America, the holiday began in the 18^th century,  right here in southeastern Pennsylvania as a Pennsylvania German custom, having its origins in ancient  European  folk lore, where a badger or bear predicts the weather. Or as my German cousins say, “Ein Murmeltier.”

And now, something I have never done before - a recipe!

It’s for “cheese woodchuck”, an old variation of Welsh rarebit, often incorrectly called Welsh rabbit. So for all you PETA members and ovo-lacto vegetarians, there’s no rabbit in Welsh rabbit and there’s no groundhog in cheese woodchuck.

This easy and hearty recipe found in the “2010 Old Farmers Almanac” and “Yankee” Web site is borrowed from an old Maine family "receipt."

• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups corn from the cob
• 1/2 pound diced Sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 6 thick slices toast Sauté butter and onion together, add seasonings, milk and corn, and cook slowly, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cheese and Worcestershire, cooking until cheese is melted. Then add the eggs and cook on low, stirring 2-3 minutes longer. Serve on the toast slices.Incidentally, the original Welsh rarebit recipe, calls for adding 1/ 2 cup of Porter or Ale along with a tablespoon of all-purpose flour to the mixture!

So experiment, enjoy and keep warm.