Sunday, February 2, 2014

Happy Groundhog Day!

Today, February 2, is Groundhog Day in America! 


Many people believe that Punxsutawney Phil can predict the weather on this day. This morning, the famous Punxsutawney Phil came out of his burrow at Gobbler's Knob in Pennsylvania.

Did Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow?




Tradition says that if Punxsutawney Phil:

sees his shadow... 
then winter weather will continue for six more weeks.


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 does NOT see his shadow... then spring weather will come soon






Today, Punxsutawney Phil SAW his shadow! 

:-( 

Six more weeks of winter weather will ensue. 



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What do you think of the Groundhog Day tradition?

Do you believe Punxsutawney Phil?


Do you know of any other silly traditions? 


5 comments:

  1. Dear Mrs Yollis and Class,
    I can only hope that Puntsuxawney Phil has got it wrong... and spring is just around the corner! Do you even actually have a winter in California? It always looks sunny in every photo we see from you! As you know we have proper winters here in the north of England, and a very wet one it has been too this year! In Yorkshire (our county) there is a saying:
    'Cast ne'er a clout till May be out'.
    That translates from Yorkshire dialect as 'Don't shed your winter clothes till the end of May'. When I was a child, we had an old neighbour who took this very seriously and I can remember her always wearing her winter coat and hat right up until the end of May, regardless of the sunshine! She used to say that to me, which is why I remember it!
    It strikes me as a fairly silly tradition... it certainly would be in California!
    Mrs Monaghan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ Mrs. Monaghan in England,

      We certainly can't complain about Punxsutawney Phil's prediction. Although I love warm weather, we need rain here in California. You are correct, it is very sunny here, but California is in a drought!

      According to USA Today: 2013 became the driest year on record in California; San Francisco had the least rain since record keeping there began during the gold rush of 1849.

      It's funny how these silly traditions like Groundhog Day or the English 'Cast ne'er a clout till May be out' get started and continue. I guess it is a fun way to pass the time!

      Tonight there is a 70% chance of rain. Thank goodness!

      I like Groundhog Day because it is my wedding anniversary! Today Mr. Y♥llis and I are celebrating eleven wonderful years together.

      Thanks for a fabulous comment and I hope it warms up soon!

      Mrs. Y♥llis

      Delete
    2. I certainly hope you get the rain you need. It sounds fun to always have sun, but it's easy to forget it's no fun to live with a drought. We are lucky always to have the water we need, and live in a green and pleasant land!
      Happy Anniversary!
      Mrs Monaghan

      Delete
  2. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    I do not like Groundhog Day because if Phil sees his shadow it might just be because he is facing the wrong direction. So, I don't think this is a reliable way to tell whether Spring is coming. That's why I don't believe in Phil.

    I think another silly tradition is making expensive Super Bowl commercials. People spend a lot of money making the ads. But, if there is a bad game, like this past Super Bowl, advertisers will lose a lot of money because people will stop watching the game and not see any of the commercials.

    From,
    Darius

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He♔ther and R♥xyFebruary 7, 2014 at 12:37 PM

      @ Darius,

      Heather doesn't think Punxsutawney Phil is a reliable rodent, but she still believes it. Roxy does not believe in it because she also doesn't think it is reliable.

      We share your opinion about the Super Bowl commercials. We both think that the people who pay millions of dollars are foolish because most people aren't going to watch the commercials. Even though they are kind of wasting money, we both think that the commercials are humorous.

      Is football the greatest game to you? We both think it is a little boring to watch. Neither of us really understand the game, and that might be why we don't like it.

      Heather thinks that tennis is the best game to watch and play. She likes it because the ball moves really fast, and she likes watching the different strokes. Roxy thinks that volleyball is the greatest game. Volleyball is a game that can be played no matter what your age. Young kids and adults can hit the ball. What is your opinion and why?


      Sincerely,
      He♔ther and R♥xy

      Delete

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