February 2

The below is what I posted last year, so I copy and pasted it here for this year, and I was going to do it last night, thinking I'd be back from the hospital before 10, but no. Heather still had not slept in two days and was falling asleep nursing and baby Will was not going to sleep. So I didn't leave until he got to sleep and Heather was sleeping.

But as the day progressed I thought of this day and the timing in Scripture of baby Jesus's continuing story. Heather had even talked about this, without her knowing the calendar day's story. So off to the hospital again I go.
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So what day is February 2? Groundhog Day!
Yes and No.

On the Christian calendar February 2 is Candlemas Day. This was the day Jesus was brought as a baby to the temple. Old Simeon and Anna were there waiting for years! for the Messiah, and proclaimed Jesus the Light to lighten all peoples.

A meeting of the old and new.

In some places candles may still be brought to the church to be blessed.

Folklore: "If Candlemas day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another flight;
But if it be dark with clouds and rain,
Winter is gone, and will not come again."

Groundhog Lore: If he sees the sun ...
and is frightened by his shadow he'll crawl back to sleep for 40 days.
If it's cloudy ...
and stays above ground; it's a harbinger of early spring.

Did dislike of religion bring the change from Candlemas to Groundhog Day?

Watch the movie "Groundhog Day".
Bill Murray, a TV weatherman seems condemned to live the day over and over again. He tries every role or small story he can think of. When all fail him, does he discover the real meaning of life?

It's Ecclesiastes in modern film--all is vanity. I love the fact that you can find a part of the Gospel in most every film.