Posted by Aaron:
Every day when I log into my Yahoo email there's a little calendar at the bottom of the page that lists upcoming holidays, etc. In the last couple of days I've noticed that Groundhog Day is coming up - February 2nd to be exact. As the legend goes, if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and fails to see its shadow because the weather is cloudy, winter will soon end. If the groundhog sees its shadow, it will return into its burrow, and the winter will continue for 6 more weeks.
I began to ask myself, "self, why the heck is such a day as Groundhog Day celebrated or recognized by a nation of 300 million people?" Honestly I don't have an answer. Studies show that the accuracy rate of the beloved groundhog's annual predictions are a dismal 39% (no joke - an organization actually did a study on this). Given that there are only two possibilities, I could think of any number of ways to more accurately predict the outcome for the rest of winter. Among them: flipping a coin, asking a monkey, or polling the American public (ok - I'll admit I'd probably go with the groundhog over the American public, but in theory 50% accuracy should occur).
So as we celebrate this great day in American culture, let us not forget other great holiday's that have been overlooked, but are nonetheless as important if not MORE important than Groundhog Day.
January 3: Humiliation Day - no, don't humiliate people, rather, learn about just how badly someone feels when they're humiliated.
January 7: Old Rock Day - three cheers for old rocks! When big old rocks rub together they cause earthquakes.....
April 26: Richter Scale Day - three cheers for the Richter Scale for telling us how hard the old rocks are rubbing together!
April 30: Hairstyle Appreciation Day - self explanatory
June 18: International Panic Day - AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
September 27: International Rabbit Day - the worlds third most popular pet (behind dogs and cats)
December 21: National Flashlight Day - where would we be without flashlights in a power failure?
December 31: Make Up Your Mind Day - A favorite of impatient people everywhere as they yell "MAKE UP YOUR MIND!" to the indecisive people in their lives.
Whatever you do on Groundhog Day, just remember that if you bet against the groundhog's predictions you'll more than likely be correct.
Quick Grandparent Visit
6 years ago
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4 comments:
At one of my old jobs it was always my deal to do the "company calendar" each year. Each day had stupid reason for existence and people thought it was the greatest thing ever (These "people" were also mostly senile and deaf...this was at my hearing aid company job). It's ridiculous what people spend their time thinking up...like "National Eat Chocolate Day". Come on.
Three cheers to the Micro-Teach Hearing Humor Calendar!!! :)
Katie,
As you know, I am an avid reader, and feel lost if I am not in the middle of a great book. After reading your blog about Groundhog Day, I am convinced you have the gift needed to write the "Great American Novel" someday. Please keep that thought in the back of your head! By the way, I always believed the little groundhog when I was growing up!
Gosh Grandma, thanks for the compliment, but AARON wrote this one...maybe we'll have to collaborate on one!
Hello! We must be very near you on the list. A few weeks ago, 24 made the first page. Then, just as we reached number 24 they added a line of text to the top of the page that bumped us down!!!!! Weird how much that annoyed me! Now, we are clear of the page break, and I feel like this is really happening. We're right there with you!!!!
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