Well, the long cold stretch of Winter is under way, unleavened by any holiday festivities, unless you count Valentine's Day, about which I am quite ambivalent, depending on whether or not there is a valentine guy in my life at that point.
We definitely need more winter holidays to help us through the dark and cold. I personally think Groundhog Day could be built up a bit more. After all, it celebrates Winter and the possibility of Spring as well as furry cute animals, quite a fetching combo. There could be marzipan groundhogs for special holiday treats, and little pastries shaped like groundhogs rolled in pinenuts to recall the groundhogs' coat. There could be special groundhog carols -
Oh, groundhog dear,
Oh groundhog dear,
Winter prognosticator!
Oh, groundhog dear,
Oh groundhog dear,
Make Spring come soon, not later!
We wait to see
What you behold
No shadow please,
We're tired of cold.
and etc., sung to the tune for "Oh Tannenbaum."
And definitely, for anyone with a backyard, the ritual offering of some chopped lettuce and dried pet food left out on a plate for any groundhogs in the vicinity who need a snack after their grueling day.
Admittedly, this is all silly, but I think a little silliness is just what I need to get through the long dark nights of winter. I will be making up other winter holidays as the season progresses - how about a "first significant snowfall of the year holiday", with ritual snowball fight, snow person building, and then warming up indoors in front of a blazing fireplace, with roasted chestnuts and hot chocolate? I can hardly wait!
We definitely need more winter holidays to help us through the dark and cold. I personally think Groundhog Day could be built up a bit more. After all, it celebrates Winter and the possibility of Spring as well as furry cute animals, quite a fetching combo. There could be marzipan groundhogs for special holiday treats, and little pastries shaped like groundhogs rolled in pinenuts to recall the groundhogs' coat. There could be special groundhog carols -
Oh, groundhog dear,
Oh groundhog dear,
Winter prognosticator!
Oh, groundhog dear,
Oh groundhog dear,
Make Spring come soon, not later!
We wait to see
What you behold
No shadow please,
We're tired of cold.
and etc., sung to the tune for "Oh Tannenbaum."
And definitely, for anyone with a backyard, the ritual offering of some chopped lettuce and dried pet food left out on a plate for any groundhogs in the vicinity who need a snack after their grueling day.
Admittedly, this is all silly, but I think a little silliness is just what I need to get through the long dark nights of winter. I will be making up other winter holidays as the season progresses - how about a "first significant snowfall of the year holiday", with ritual snowball fight, snow person building, and then warming up indoors in front of a blazing fireplace, with roasted chestnuts and hot chocolate? I can hardly wait!
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