T HE H I S T OR Y O F GROUNDHOG DA Y
While it’s a fun holiday, its origins are steeped in rich traditions. Do you have any fun family traditions that stem from Groundhog Day festivities? I’d love to hear about it the next time you are in the office.
When German families immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 18th century, they adopted the groundhog as their Candlemas weather forecaster. The holiday was eventually coined “Groundhog Day” in 1887 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. A local newspaper editor, Clymer Freas, presented the holiday to a group of businessmen and groundhog hunters known as the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. The men ventured to Gobbler’s Knob on Feb. 2, and the first Groundhog Day took place. Today, the annual festivities are organized by a group of club members known as the Inner Circle. On the big day, thousands
By the time this is published, Punxsutawney Phil, the legendary groundhog, has already predicted whether or not we will get six more weeks of winter. Ironically enough, Groundhog Day didn’t even start with a groundhog! To understand why Groundhog Day is such a rich tradition here in North America, we have to go back to the Celts. Between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, the Celts celebrated Imbolc on Feb. 1 or 2, which marked the beginning of spring. When Christianity started to spread through Europe, Imbolc evolved into Candlemas. Candlemas is focused more on commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the holy temple in Jerusalem. In certain parts of Europe, it was believed that a sunny Candlemas meant another 40 days of cold weather. Sound familiar? The Germans took the idea one step further, declaring the day to be sunny only if small animals like badgers saw their shadows.
of people gather to see whether or not we will have six more weeks of winter. The holiday was even immortalized in the 1993 Bill Murry classic “Groundhog Day.”
SUDOKU
EASY SHRIMP SCAMPI
Make date night simple with this easy shrimp scampi recipe.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
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4 tbsp butter 4 tbsp olive oil
1. In a skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp of butter with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. 2. Add shrimp and oregano, stirring frequently until shrimp is pink. Remove shrimp from skillet. 3. Add wine and lemon juice to skillet and bring the mixture to a boil. 4. Stir in remaining butter and olive oil and cook until butter is melted. 5. Add cooked shrimp to skillet and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. 6. In a serving bowl, top cooked linguine with shrimp mixture. Garnish with parsley and serve.
1 tbsp minced garlic 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
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1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup dry white wine
SOLUT ION
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1/4 cup lemon juice
8 oz cooked linguine
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1/4 cup parsley
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Inspired by The Blond Cook
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