Groundhog Day is found in Scripture?

Hello Friends,

Happy Groundhog Day! Or at least it was Groundhog’s Day a few days ago. On Tuesday, February 2nd, 2026, Mr. Punxsutawney Phil crawled out of his home in the ground to check the weather. Upon exiting his home and stepping out into the world, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. What does this mean? It means that we are in store for six more weeks of winter: six more weeks of cold, six more weeks of possibly snow, and six more weeks of being stuck inside. For some, this is good news; but for others, spring can’t come fast enough. So, what are your thoughts? Are you exciting for six more weeks of winter or are you wanting spring to arrive early?

You know, I was thinking about Groundhog Day, and did you know that Groundhog Day has somewhat of a loose connection to Christianity? Let me explain…

In Luke 2:22-23, Joseph and Mary take Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord and also to give a purification offering of two turtledoves or pigeons. Leviticus 12 provides the formula that states that the purification offering be made on day 40 after the birth of a male Israelite. Now for those of you quick on the draw with the math, what little event do we celebrate 40 days prior to February 2nd? We celebrate Christmas! The birth of Jesus!

When fourth century churchmen declared that the nativity of Jesus was to be celebrated on December 25, a festival eventually evolved to celebrate his presentation at the Temple on February 2. This holiday went by many names, but in the English-speaking world it was known as Candlemas. The popular name came about because many churches blessed all the candles to be used throughout the year within that church on that day. This custom also has ties to the Lord’s presentation at the Temple when Simeon the prophet declared Jesus to be “a light for revelation to the Gentiles” (Luke 2:32).

When English-speaking settlers arrived in what would be the United States, many of them tended to be Puritans or members of Christian communities that largely rejected many of the Roman Catholic or Anglican sanctioned holidays. They possessed little desire to celebrate Christmas, let alone related festivals like Candlemas. So Candlemas failed to develop into a major religious holiday in America in spite of its link to the visit of Jesus to the Temple on day 40 of his life.

Today Groundhog’s Day takes its place as a growing phenomenon in the United States complete with school observances, greeting cards, trinkets and paraphernalia for purchase, and even a federally-sanctioned “official” groundhog in Pennsylvania, named Punxsutawney Phil. But now you know that Groundhog Day (at least the roots of Groundhog Day) once celebrated an important event in the early life of Jesus. The day commemorates the first New Testament promise that Christ would also be the Savior of the Gentiles, a light that will never be conquered by the dark.

Who would have ever thought that a holiday that honors the predictions of a groundhog could potentially be related to the day when Jesus, the light of the world during all seasons of life, would be presented in the temple for the first time, giving us hope, rest, and reassurance? So, maybe having the groundhog see his shadow is not a terrible thing considering that having a shadow means that there is a light shining somewhere. Hopefully, that light is shining on you!

Your Friend, Holy Spirit!

Information gathered from Vance Morton’s article “What Does Groundhog Day Have to do With Christianity?” (https://www.ctcumc.org/newsdetail/669459)