Groundhog Day is celebrated in the U.S. each year on February 2nd. On this day in mid-winter, the groundhog awakens from a long winter’s nap, and goes outside of his den to see if he sees his shadow. This tradition is big on an otherwise cold and dreary mid-winter’s day.
According to legend, if the groundhog sees his shadow (a sunny morning), there will be six more weeks of winter. He then returns to his den and goes back to sleep. If however, he does not see his shadow (cloudy days), he plays around outside of his hole for a while. If he does not see his shadow, spring is just around the corner.
The Groundhog’s Day tradition travelled long ways. It comes from German roots. German immigrants brought the tradition with them from Germany. As they settled in hills of Pennsylvania, they began the tradition of using the Groundhog to predict the the arrival of Spring. The tradition is based upon Candlemas, the day that is the midpoint between Winter and Spring. A famous Candlemas poems goes:
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Winter has another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Winter will not come again.
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is the site of the annual Ground Hog event. Our little rodent friend (yes, Groundhogs are classified as rodents) is called Punxsutawney Phil. There are a few other “predictors” around the country, but they all pale in comparison to Phil’s ability to predict the remainder of winter.
Watch the movie Groundhog Day, a fun romantic comedy that centers around the Punxsutawney event! You can find the movie on Net Flix, at the library, and on demand. Enjoy!
Martin Luther King Day is seen as a day to promote equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their background. Some educational establishments mark the day by teaching their pupils or students about the work of Martin Luther King and the struggle against racial segregation and racism. In recent years, federal legislation has encouraged Americans to give some of their time on this day as volunteers in citizen action groups.
You can’t turn on the television news lately without hearing about the flu epidemic. The seasonal flu has started early this year and is spreading quickly throughout the state. Here’s some useful information from the Center for Disease Control about how you can protect yourself from the flu and how to treat yourself and your host children should you get sick.
Bubble baths are so much fun. For kids, its playtime ~ fill the tub with bubbles and toys. Then hop in and play! For adults, it’s soothing pleasure….fill the tub with bubbly water and relax after a long day at work.
We are experiencing the coldest weather in 20 years!
On Sunday, January 6th au pairs from the 4 Au Pair in America Long Island clusters experienced the PBR show at Madison Square Garden in NYC. This was a chance for the au pairs to experience an American cultural experience not usually seen in NYC! The riders were amazing, staying on one of these bulls for 8 seconds seems impossible. Some were successful and many were not. The packed crowd was enjoying the show, the riders, the bulls, the rodeo clown and the brave men who were in the rink with the bulls getting them back into the corrals! Crazy and exciting!!
The PBR’s premier tour includes 31 events across the country every year. Pyrotechnics, pulsating music and special effects open each event, and each features the top 30 riders in the world at the time (plus 10 alternates). The season culminates inLas Vegas,
Riders attempt to stay on a bucking bull for eight seconds, and rides are judged based on both the rider’s and the bull’s performance, with two judges scoring the rider and two scoring the bull. At the end of each event, the top 15 riders compete in the short round, or “short go”; the rider with the highest point total from the entire event becomes the winner.
Canada, Brazil, Australia, and Mexico each have their own PBR tours, and money earned on those tours counts towards the U.S. qualifier standings and a spot in the PBR World Finals.