G Is For Groundhog

by Kathy K McClellan

Title

G Is For Groundhog

Artist

Kathy K McClellan

Medium

Photograph - Photographs

Description

G Is For Groundhog by Kathy K. McClellan is an image created for Day 33 of the Journal 2022 Challenge, a 365 day Personal Art Challenge. This is a square image bordered in black.

My journal entries for February 2022 include upper case (capital) letters of the Modern English Alphabet as well as a description that relays information on the word chosen for that day's letter. These letters are created from used wine corks.

G is the seventh letter of the Modern English Alphabet and the first letter of the word Groundhog.

I chose this letter for today's challenge entry because in the United States and Canada it is Groundhog Day, a celebration that has been held on February 2 every year in the United States since 1887.

The present ritual started, and is still held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. German immigrants brought the custom to the United States from Europe where it was believed that the badger had the power to predict the coming of spring weather. The groundhog was chosen since there were few if any badgers in Pennsylvania.

Tradition says that if the groundhog sees it's shadow on February 2 it will be frightened by it and will return to it's burrow for another six weeks. However, if no shadow is seen then spring is coming soon.

The groundhog in Pennsylvania is named Punxsutawney Phil but other cities and zoos in the US and Canada have their own groundhogs also. Dunkirk Dave, Staten Island Chuck, Milltown Mel, Stonewall Jackson, Essex Ed, Buckeye Chuck, Birmingham Bill, General Beauregard Lee and Great Neck Greta are a few of the named groundhogs that have been celebrated as spring predictors.

Pennsylvania holds the claim of the world's largest Groundhog Day celebration in the world with the University of Dallas in Irving Texas boasting of being the second largest celebration in the world.

Uploaded

February 2nd, 2022

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