Here’s hoping that Buckeye Chuck is better at predicting the length of winter than Punxsutawney Phil. Buckeye Chuck, who spends his winters in Marion, Ohio, is not nearly as famous as his Pennsylvania cousin, but since Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Groundhog Day Tuesday and Buckeye Chuck did not, we’re rooting for Chuck to be the more accurate predictor of winter’s length.
According to the German/Dutch superstition, if an animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2 — which also happens to be the little known and seldom observed Christian holiday of Candlemas — there will be six more weeks of winter.
Since the winter of 2009-10 already has brought this region more than the average amount of snow and frigid temperatures — not to mention more than a few missed days of school — the sooner spring-like weather arrives, the better.
While we give no credence to the lowly groundhog’s ability to predict the length of winter, we’re still hoping Buckeye Chuck is right in predicting an early spring.
