Come Feb. 2 it is all about the groundhog, will he or won’t he see his shadow. After a week of snow and ice North Texans says send winter on its way groundhog. Lore has it if the groundhog sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter, but no shadow means winter’s chill may go a bit earlier bringing an early spring.

Groundhog Day is a lighthearted tradition that millions of people enjoy each February, and the custom may have much older roots than celebrants realize. The American Folklife Center & Veterans History Project notes that folklorist Don Yoder, in his 2003 book Groundhog Day, traced the origins of the holiday to pre-Christian festivals that also led to holidays like Halloween.

Yoder asserted the timing of the festival that is now celebrated as the holiday Groundhog Day, which falls in between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, symbolizes how significant and anticipated changes in the seasons were within pre-Christian society. That’s one reason why the festival that served as a precursor to Groundhog Day survived when western European societies became Christianized.

Fun things to do to mark Groundhog Day

Move over local television and radio meteorologists. Come Feb. 2, a different weather expert garners all the forecasting glory.

Groundhog Day celebrations are an entertaining way to break up the bleakness of winter. Groundhog Day evolved from an earlier custom, known as Candlemas Day, which was observed by early European Christians. During Candlemas, clergy blessed candles and distributed them to others as a way to ward off the winter chill. A poem was recited during the ceremony:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,

Winter has another fight.

If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,

Winter will not come again.

German settlers in Pennsylvania likely brought over Candlemas traditions, and they evolved into Groundhog Day customs involving a local animal known for its hibernation habits. Similar to Candlemas Day, if the groundhog “sees” his shadow then winter will continue for another six weeks. If he does not, spring is around the corner. Punxsutawney Phil is the most famous of the prognosticating groundhogs. Phil emerges at festivities in Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania each year. But there are others who also look for their own shadows in different regions of the country.

ACTIVITIES – Families can get in on the Groundhog action and do their own weather-predicting activities and other fun stuff. The following are some creative ways to celebrate Groundhog Day.

· Make shadow art. Explore how shadows work by gathering some three-dimensional objects and sidewalk chalk. Venture outdoors during the morning and see if you can trace the shadows of any of the shapes onto the sidewalk or a driveway.

· Learn about groundhogs. Groundhogs are interesting creatures that are sometimes referred to as woodchucks. They are extremely intelligent animals that form complex social networks. Groundhogs belong to a group of large ground squirrels known as marmots, and are native to the eastern United States and Canada.

· Create a groundhog craft. All you will need is a paper tube made from construction paper, and a cut-out paper groundhog attached to a straw, stick or pipe cleaner for a fun kids’ craft. Kids can take turns popping their groundhogs out of the tops of their tubes just like Punxsutawney Phil pops out of his den.

· Read a groundhog-themed book. Plenty of books feature groundhogs as the main character. “Wake Up Groundhog!” and “How to Catch a Groundhog” are two such options.

· Go for a night walk. The days soon will be getting longer and hours of night shorter. Capitalize on the opportunity to enjoy the quiet of the darkness with a neighborhood stroll.

Groundhog Day marks the moment when people learn if winter will stretch on or if spring will soon arrive. It is marked by certain customs that families can make their own.