[Updated February 2024]

Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is an annual tradition observed in the United States and Canada.

In the U.S., members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club gather on February 2 around a burrow in the town of Punxsutawney in western Pennsylvania and wait for the groundhog to emerge. It is believed that the groundhog can predict the arrival of spring!

In the 1993 American fantasy-comedy film, “Groundhog Day,” Bill Murray plays a meteorologist who is sent to report on the event. He experiences déjà-vu when he wakes up each day and February 2 repeats again and again.

2024 Prediction

Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow today, which means this year’s prediction is: we’re getting an early spring!🌷(According to legend, if he had seen his shadow, there would have been six more weeks of winter.)

Groundhog Day is believed to have been adapted from a German custom of having a badger predict the weather, which itself is believed to have been an adaptation of a religious tradition involving candles.

La Chandeleur

The French also celebrate the religious tradition on February 2. They call it La Chandeleur, which comes from chandelle, the French word for candles. Similar to Groundhog Day, there are weather-related sayings or superstitions about this day:

« Chandeleur couverte, quarante jours de perte » (If it’s covered in snow, 40 more days will be lost winter)

« Soleil de la Chandeleur, annonce hiver et malheur » (If the sun is out, it indicates winter and misfortune)

« Quand la Chandeleur est claire, l’hiver est par derriere » (If it’s clear, then winter is behind us)

« Quand il pleut pour la Chandeleur, il pleut pendant quarante jours » (If it’s raining, it will rain for 40 days)

My Crêpe Recipe

Staff Appreciation Lunch Day at my daughter’s school happened to fall on February 2, so I signed up to make crêpes (2023)

One way to celebrate La Chandeleur is by eating crêpes!

I love to make crêpes at home. I’m glad they’re so easy to make and require just seven ingredients and a pan!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup of buttermilk
  • 3/4 cup of water
  • 1/4 tsp of salt
  • 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
  • butter (for the frying pan)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. Unlike pancake batter, the mixture will be thin. Pour 1/3 cup of the mixture onto the lightly buttered pan that’s over low heat. Swirl the pan until the batter coats the bottom of the pan. Flip the crêpe when the sides are lightly brown (about 90-120 seconds on each side.)

Enjoy it warm with jam, Nutella, lemon juice, or powdered sugar. Bon appétit !

I like butter and brown sugar on my crêpes
Crepevine
“San Francisco” crêpe from Crepevine has smoked salmon, capers, spinach, and dill havarti (2018)
Paris Las Vegas

Tell me in the comments: Do you like crêpes? What do you like to put on them?

[Originally published February 2021]