The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-02-01
GROUNDING. ( [ D ].
.D:|Al|F::Y'!l1''O||||N|||E|S !
Tomorrow ]. { | D v
Turning ! ,l,'.' Point ,ill,, Be- e.
i've en- W inter
/. and5Spring

| +, Er, - ----.-- ri iiig1'. Z. r.
Tomorrow Is caudefmas day. o.
Ground Hog day, as Il Is more gtncr
ally known. It is}the day that Is sup
posed TO mark the turning roin, be
tween winter and spring. but wnethel
spring comes or winter stnyz longel
depends on sunshine and SHADOW apt
the little ground-hog. At least, 50 say
the olltme prophets, and while the
experts Of the weather bureau and the
agricultural department snlfr at sucf
proph ccIes as being groundless super
stltions. :hc ground hog will no: lack
millions Of devotees tomorrow For
is It not written in the old Jingle:
/ "As far rs the sun shine out On Can
dlemas day.
So far will the snow blow IA before
May.
As far as the snow blows in on Can.
tllemas day,
So far will the sun shine ont before
| May"
1t all depends upon the wentncr on
THAT day and the little grornd hoe
as to what the weather for The next
! six weeks will be. Tho ground hog.
II when he emerges from hic winter
alternating place, caances to Sc. hta
shadow. he will beat a hast: retreat
i to bis little hole and wait fol .a:rer
wea ther, knowing that meteoro'og'
ical change Is due. But II It Is dark
and gloomy when he emerEes lnd he
sees no shadow the little animal will
figure TINT winter Is almost gone and
tnat above ground Is the p'dco for
him. It is the habit Of the grouEd hog
that gave this feature Of :! eastom
otherwise so different.
The custom was instituted ~ t;ela.
sius In the, 1atter, part Of the fifteenth
century. IN many respects It tasen,-
bled some Of the pagan celebrations
and particularly. that Of the lagan
Febrrnlla. which was held st about
! this same period.
In fact, the Candlemas day telabra.
ton Is a substitution Of tho F'ebiua'ia
whlch furnishes the only logical rea.
Eon for the use Of the candles IN the
festivities attendant.
! February has been dedicated to the
Internal gods by the Gentlles because
ut It's beginning Pluto stole ProsrGrine
and her mother: Ceres sought nnd
rfscued her at night and carried
lighted candles. The Februalia cele-
bration was in honor. OF Ceres mi the
celeDrants carried lighted eaEiles,
too. Z.
The holy fathers tried to stop the
celebration, but failed and iecreed
that which had been done unto Ceres
should be done unto the virgin This
Is how tie festival came to be known
as the Fertilization OF the Blessed vir.
Gin. During the Middle ages Il was
also fovorlte time for the ce' e,nony
among Christian mothers anaisgous
to the Greek presentation in tie lem
pie.
With the Reformation though came
q reaction against the custom and
from that time since It has lost the
greater part Of It's religious aspect,
even In The Latin countries In LISA
ionn Ball Issued proclamation de-
clarlng that too much honor was be.
Ing done to the virgin and thai the
honor done unto her should be done
INTO Christ. This brought the clar-
acter Of the celebration ba"k t., Its
Greek meaning
It Is from England, Germany and
Scotland though that the. Ground Hog
lay custom comes. There th" day Is
observed MS one Of celebration In
;omc parts. but mostly day for
weather DEMONSTRATIONS. Many Of
he rhymes that one hears abolt the
lay arc from the English and the
Scotch. IN Scotland on this dn7' It is
custom for the childre1 to bring
preesnts to the teachers. Each tries
10 rIya. the other In the amount OF the
,lft and the boy and girl that give
he most costly ones are hailed as
';Ing and queen. School Is then dis.
missed md the children march
through tho village streets carrying
he king and queen upon their
shoulders. aa