The neolithic inhabitants of Europe had four extra holidays, equally spaced between the two solstices and the two equinoxes. (Since they measured time by using megalithic rings of standing-stones, it added some nice balance, and it filled some empty space, and it wasn’t that much trouble, to add four more stones).The “holiday” halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox was called Imbolc, marking the first stirrings of Spring. Our dim memory of the fact that there should be some holiday around the first of February led us to create Groundhog’s.So leave the tree up, Brewster. And light some bonfires.
The neolithic inhabitants of Europe had four extra holidays, equally spaced between the two solstices and the two equinoxes. (Since they measured time by using megalithic rings of standing-stones, it added some nice balance, and it filled some empty space, and it wasn’t that much trouble, to add four more stones).The “holiday” halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox was called Imbolc, marking the first stirrings of Spring. Our dim memory of the fact that there should be some holiday around the first of February led us to create Groundhog’s.So leave the tree up, Brewster. And light some bonfires.