Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce for February 01, 2015
January 31, 2015
February 02, 2015
Transcript:
Francis: Tomorrow's Groundhog Day. Nate: Yeah, I've never understood Groundhog Day. Nate: I mean, who decided that a groundhog seeing his shadow means six more weeks of winter? Francis: I don't know. Freddy: Why six weeks? Why not five? Why not seven or eight? Francis: I don't know. Nate: And if he doesn't see his shadow, then Spring supposedly comes early! Well, how early? Francis: I don't know! Teddy: Plus, why would a groundhog even be awake in February? Don't groundhogs hibernate? Francis: I don't know! Teddy: Why didn't they pick an animal that doesn't hibernate, like a raccoon? Francis: I don't know! I don't know! Nate: Or a fox? Or a badger? Francis: Yaah! Teddy: Touchy. Nate: People get so tense around holidays.
GH Day was originally called Caldlemas – one of the four cross-quarter days when the sun was halfway north of the equator and halfway south of the equator. These were the original beginnings of the seasons. So Spring went from Feb 2 to May 2, and the middle was the equinox, March 21.
That makes more sense astronomically but not weather-wise, as the east coast can tell us this week. But if it were cloudy, the weather tends to be warmer than if clear.
“If Candlemas Day is clear and bright,winter will have another bite.If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain,winter is gone and will not come again.”
Six weeks is the time from GH Day to the Vernal Equinox.