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“Groundhog Day has its roots in the ancient Christian tradition of Candlemas Day, when clergy would bless and distribute candles needed for winter. The candles represented how long and cold the winter would be. Germans expanded on this concept by selecting an animal–the hedgehog–as a means of predicting weather. The observance of Groundhog Day in the United States first occurred in German communities in Pennsylvania, according to known records. The earliest mention of Groundhog Day is an entry on February 2, 1840, in the diary of James L. Morris of Morgantown, in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, according to the book on the subject by Don Yoder. This was a The History of Groundhog Day The Christian religious holiday of Candlemas Day has become most commonly associated with the current celebration, but it’s roots are older than that. The celebration started in Christianity as the day, (February 2nd), when Christians would take their candles to the church to have them blessed. LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -- Is Groundhog Day a Christian holiday? The answer, sort of. There's definitely a Christian connection to the holiday. Groundhog Day is an American holiday celebrated every February 2. Across the country, but primarily in New England, a few groundhogs are awakened early from their hibernation. Today Groundhog Day takes its place as a growing phenomenon in the United States complete with school observances, greeting cards, trinkets and paraphernalia for purchase, and even a federally-sanctioned “official” groundhog in Pennsylvania. The holiday was also commemorated in a popular Hollywood movie of the early 1990s. Read on to learn about the history and origins of Groundhog day, the day's Christian roots, and how it came to be the holiday it is today. Maggie Phillips covers religious communities across The first official Groundhog Day celebration took place on February 2, 1887, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The annual ritual has roots in pre-Christian traditions and was brought to the U.S. by WOODSTOCK, Ill. (RNS) — Woodstock Willie, perhaps the second most famous groundhog in the country, saw his shadow Thursday (Feb. 2), predicting another six weeks of winter. These days when you say, “Groundhog Day,” most people immediately think of the 1993 movie. Only after that do they remember the February 2 holiday featuring a cowardly rodent. Groundhog Day may seem like a comical product of the modern era, but its roots actually stretch back to when Christians celebrated the purification of the infant Jesus on that early February day. February 2 is roughly equidistant between the winter solstice and spring equinox and has been observed by many ancient peoples. The 1993 film Groundhog Day features egotistical weatherman Phil Connors, played by Bill Murray, reliving the same day over and over. While the movie is beloved as a comedy, many religious scholars consider it an “underground Buddhist classic” for its depiction of the cycle of death and rebirth. See how the groundhog became a symbol for predicting seasonal changes in America, rooted in German folklore with a badger — which in turn lead to Groundhog Day. A few years later, in 2001, Groundhog Day was screened as part of a Buddhist film series organized by Michael Wenger, a Sōtō Zen priest who was then the dean of Buddhist studies at the San Francisco Zen Center. In a subsequent lecture, Wenger argued that Groundhog Day not only illustrates the law of karma, but also “parallels Buddhist Groundhog Day originated from an ancient European tradition called Candlemas Day, where clergy would bless candles and distribute them to ward off the darkness of winter. The first official Groundhog Day celebration took place on February 2, 1887, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Groundhog Day is a 1993 American fantasy comedy film directed by Harold Ramis from a screenplay by him and Danny Rubin.Starring Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, and Chris Elliott, it tells the story of a cynical television weatherman covering the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, who becomes trapped in a time loop, forcing him to relive February 2 repeatedly. Phil goes through many mental stages in Groundhog Day, and they in many ways reflect the phases of an existential or spiritual crisis, when one comes face to face with meaninglessness.Phil's On Feb. 2, while many Americans “celebrate” Groundhog Day, most of them will most-likely being doing so without recognizing the (somewhat loose) connection that the holiday has with Christianity. Brought to the United States by the Pennsylvania Dutch, Groundhog Day emerged from a Germanic religious tradition and superstition that coincided with Candlemas. Commemorating the 40th day after Personal redemption holds the key to enlightenment Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, the detestable, egotistical weatherman in Groundhog Day. The 1993 film shows Murray repeatedly experiencing a El Groundhog Day ha sido popularizado en la cultura estadounidense a través de la película de comedia “Groundhog Day” lanzada en 1993, protagonizada por Bill Murray. La película ha contribuido a la notoriedad de la festividad. En conclusion: Groundhog day qué es?
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