The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-02-27
THE GROUNDHOG'S MONTH.
Some lntere sting Facts About Febru-
ary and Popular i, Gather
Superstition.
(From the Indianapolis News

(From the Indianapolis Eews.)
fernaps because il has the reputa-
ton OF being generally disagreeabl=.
+ teuruary Is much abused month. II
came into the calendar along with
January Wnen Numa Poinpillus ca
tended the year to twelve periods. IT,,
name arose from the practice of re-
iigious expiation and purifcation thai
took place among the Romans at thl.
time cf year, and comes from the word
februare, meaning to expiate, to purl-
fy. Numa selected February as the
month which was to have tWenty-nine
days for three years out Of every four,
and thirty days on the fourth. This, At
would seem, was humiliation enough
for February, but when Augustus
chose to add another day to Augusl,
that the month named after him might
not lack in the dignity enjoyed by
other months. he took the day fron.
February, thus cutting it short anoth-
er day, SO that now it has twenty
eight, days for three years and in the
fourth, or leap year, twenty-nine,
In the popular mind the n4oos sA-
portant day in February, as far as the
weather is concerned, Is the secono,
known to the church as Candlemae
day and to the weatherwise as ground
hog day. Whether there is any truth
in the grounding theory Is a question
for DEBATE. Inc belief held in many
quarters is that at noon on Candle
mas day the grounding ventures forth
from his subterranean apartment anu
looks about him for signs of sprina
The ordinary presumption would be
that II the sun was bright and warm
he would conclude that spring had
arrived. But he does not. If he sees
his shadow, he decides that spring
will not come for six weeks, and goes
back to his bed for another snooze
until the middle of March. The ira
dition comes from Roman history, ano
proverbs regarding sunny Candle
mas day may be found in all the lan-
guages Of Europe. In Germany there
are two proverbial expressions on this
4; subject: "The shepherd would rath-
er see a wolf enter his stable Oh
Candlemas day than the sum-" anu
another, which indicates that grouno-
hog day is not confined to America
The badger peeps out of his hole Oh
| Candlemas day, and when he finds
snow, walks abroad; but if he sees
the sun shining, he draws back into
his hole. The popular Scottish
rhyme on the subject is as follows.
If ,Candlemas day be dry and fair,
The half o. winters to come and
mair;
If Candlemas day be wet and foul.
The half of winters game at Yule.
The grounding, known also as the
Woodchuck, abounds in this part OF
the country He is about eighteen
inches long, including his bushy tail
of five inches, and has a thick and
clumsy form, with a neck scarcely au-
parent, short and thick legs and ratn-
er large feet. His color varies from
grizzly gray and chestnut to blackisn.
His feet and tail are always almost
black. He digs deep holes almost any
place where he is not likely to be mo-
lested, and there may be seyeral
compartments in his house and back
entrance for emergency. He lives
upon roots, vegetables and grasses,
AID is especially fond Of red color.
He eats like a squirrel, sitting up
and holding the food In his fore paws.
AS fall comes on he eats heartily, BE-
coming very fat, so that he can sleep
the winter through. But he will or
ten come out for look around dur
ing the winter.
But the weather authorities :ake
little stock in the groundhog's reputed
prophetic powers, for 1t so happens
that while there may be some reason
for the tradition that mild February
portends a late spring, the nature Of
the weather on February 2 tells very
little, If anything, about winter or
spring weather. The warmest Feb
ruary since 1871 fell In 1882, when
the monthly mean temperature, as
recorded at the local Office of the
Federal Weather Bureau, was 42.S
degrees That year a mild February
was followed by a March mean ten-
perature five degrees above norman,
as April mean temperature equal 70
normal, but a May mean temperature
which fell to 58.8 degrees, which Is
only one degree warmer han the cold
hand, the coldest May fell in 1907,