Groundhog Day

Reading Comprehension for February 2

What do candles, woodchucks, and an early spring have in common? Why, Groundhog Day, of course! That is the traditional day when a groundhog or woodchuck is supposed to predict how long winter will last.

Can a groundhog really predict when winter will end? Probably not. Hundreds of years ago, February 2 was commonly known as Candlemas. It was an early Roman Catholic festival marking the time when Jesus might have been presented in the Temple of Jerusalem as a baby.

In England, they started to associate the holiday with the change from winter to spring. They made up a song to help them remember what to look for on February 2 every year:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,

Come, winter, have another flight;