Is It Time To Let Go Of Groundhog Day?

*This post may contain affiliate links in which case I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Please know that I would never recommend anything that I don’t actually believe in. Also, this is an opinion post & I hope that I can engage you to think outside of tradition and explore new ways of looking at things. Many things that were done as tradition are now illegal & many things that were once illegal are no longer such. So let’s think outside of the box here.*

What is Groundhog Day?

Groundhog Day is mostly observed in North America, mainly Canada & the United States. It is said that Groundhog Day originated from German speaking Europeans who actually used a badger instead of a groundhog. 

While they may have used different animals they both were thought to predict the same outcomes; if the groundhog or the badger came out of their hole and casted a shadow, there would be 6 more weeks of winter. 

Of course there is no real scientific evidence to confer whether or not a groundhog can predict the seasonal weather by seeing or not seeing his shadow, that hasn’t stopped this tradition from carrying on. In fact, Punxsutawney Phil from Pennsylvania only has a 39% accuracy & Wiarton Willie only has a 25% accuracy in Ontario, Canada. 

Which is why I think we can safely conclude that using groundhogs to predict the weather today is more of an entertainment novelty & less of a scientific necessity. Perhaps back in the day before we had meteorologists to measure the weather, this approach would have come in handy, but that just simply isn’t the case anymore. 

Why should we care?

Some people might wonder why we should even care about this tradition? Why should we want it to stop? Well, for starters, putting an otherwise wild animal in captivity and on display is cruel in and of itself. I always try to put myself in another’s “shoes”, even if those shoes are furry & I imagine if roles were reversed; imagine if animals held us captive & used us to inaccurately and for no proven reason, to predict whether winter was going to be a long one or not?

It just sounds so ridiculous doesn’t it?

There have also been cases where the groundhogs have been so terrified, as they are rather shy animals, and have bitten their handlers.

It has also been proven that wild animals living in captivity become distressed, sad, and unwell. Just look at all of the zoo & marine animals, those are not happy natural looking animals. Those animals deserve freedom as well. 

As mentioned, groundhogs are shy and do not like crowds. If you were to approach a wild groundhog they would most likely run and hide away from you. They like to live in burrows and eat grass, fruits, and other plants. They like to hibernate in the winter and sleep until spring, which is seemingly why man thought they could use this critter to their advantage. Couldn’t really do that with a bear now could they?

Did you know that when Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow the crowds around him start to boo & yell his name? They even threaten to eat him & some have thrown things at him. Again, let’s put ourselves in these groundhog’s places for once. Can you imagine the fear that they feel when being yelled at, whether it’s good or bad cheers, most animals do not like loud noises. 

It has been said that captive animals can become so depressed that they can display signs of anti-social animal behaviour which can be similar to what humans describe as “Cabin Fever”. I think we can all relate to the feelings of cabin fever seeing as how these past nearly 3 years have made some of us feel like prisoners in our own homes. And we surely have more space than a captive groundhog, and we surely have more real freedom. 

So these are why we should care. And while I can understand that this might not be the most important nor the most pressing issue on our hands today, it is for captive groundhogs. Every day that they spend in captivity, on display, in isolation is a day that is unnatural for them. 

Tradition is no excuse for cruelty and I think we can do better.

What can we do instead?

Personally I don’t really think we “need” to replace groundhog day with anything BUT for those of us hell bent on tradition and keeping some sort of sentiment on the day, a cruelty-free replacement would be to use plants instead. 

I’m not sure about you all but whenever I go for late winter walks I can start to smell the air shift and I can start to see the trees & plants regaining life. I don’t need a silly inaccurate tradition to tell me what my senses and being in nature can already do. 

You can also use a Farmer’s Almanac to predict seasonal weather or pay attention to the spring equinox & create your own spring traditions like;

1. Spring Cleaning – I know, so fun right? Haha but it needs to be done & what better way to welcome the change of season than to air out the home?
2. Bring Spring Decor into the Home – Buy some fresh flowers, put away your big blankets, lighten up the home front.
3. Have a Spring Equinox Dinner – invite friends & welcome the new bounty of all the fresh spring fruits and veggies.
4. Garden – No better time than Spring to start planting and cleaning up those garden beds. 
5. Get Outside – As I mentioned earlier, you will feel spring in the air the more you get out there & enjoy it. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this opinion piece. I hope to inspire you to not partake in events like these that exploit innocent sentient creatures. I know that most of us mean no harm but once we know how an animal is supposed to carry out their lives, it is hard to justify why we continue so many of these strange traditions. 

You can also help by signing this petition here to finally put an end to Groundhog Day.

Let me know in the comments down below if you have any other ideas on ways we can welcome spring without hurting any animals. I would love to hear them!

If you’re looking for more ways to bring compassion into your life, checkout my easy tips to help you Go Vegan in 2022 here.

Shop 3 of my fav cookbooks/wellness books as well. 

Is It Time To Let Go Of Groundhog Day? – A Blog About Stuff – Vegan Wellness