Today is Groundhog Day, the annual holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada on which, it is said, if a groundhog emerges from its burrow and fails to see its shadow because the weather is cloudy, winter will soon end. If on the other hand, it is sunny and the groundhog sees its shadow, the groundhog will supposedly retreat into its burrow, and winter will continue for six more weeks. Judging by the evidence outside my window I’m guessing that it beat a hasty retreat!
This side of the pond mention of ‘Groundhog Day’ most likely conjures the memory of the 1993 comedy film starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. In the film, Murray plays Phil Connors, an egocentric TV weatherman who, during his most hated assignment covering the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, finds himself repeating the same day over and over again.
Perhaps it’s a testament to the quality of the film, that despite February 2nd not been recognised as either a weather predictor or public holiday in the UK, the phrase “Groundhog Day” has entered common use in our vocabulary to describe an unpleasant situation that continually repeats, or at least seems to, until one finds a way to work through it. Read the rest of Groundhog Day »
Making my way (extremely slowly) through blizzard conditions to the office I found myself feeling very disgruntled by a billboard advertising Easter eggs.
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