In the United States, we call it Groundhog Day.
However, the day that people wait for a groundhog to see or not see its shadow is historically known as Hedgehog Day. This day, February 2, began centuries ago as part of the festival of Februa. The Romans originated this myth about hedgehogs coming out and seeing its shadow, which would mean a clear moon and six more weeks of winter.
Why this myth was developed, it is hard to say.
However, the Romans must have known that while hedgehogs hibernate, they venture out at night and not during the day.
A new tradition developed by the British during the fifth century. The Christian festival of Candlemas began to replace the Roman festival of Februa on February 2. They added their own twist to this February tradition: if Candlemas be fair, there will be two winters in the year.
Both traditions never completely died. In fact, St.
Dubricious, who was a fifth-century Saint, is pictured in the stained glass window of Goucestshire's Hentland Church in the United Kingdom with a hedgehog at his feet.
Little did the people back then know that hedgehogs would eventually become our pets. In 1566, during Queen Elizabeth I's reign, church wardens were authorized to pay out three pence for every hedgehog killed throughout the area according to the Preservation of Grayne Act. This law listed a number of animals as vermin responsible for destroying agricultural interests. In other areas they were thought to be carriers of the plague since they were often flea infested.
Oddly enough, today the hedgehog is a protected species in most areas that persecuted it.
Hedgehogs, also known by the old English name of urchone or urchin, mean a kind of troublesome elf.
Shakespeare helped make the term hedgehog more popular, however his thoughts on the little creature did not cast a positive light on it.
Hedgehogs were used for medicine. Remedies in the Middle Ages described parts of the animal as being good for boils, stopping hair from falling out, improving night vision, and for colic.
Their stretched skins were used for carding wool and dressing flax. They were put on the top rails of orchard fences for keeping out small boys from entering the property and coachmen attached the skins to carriage shafts to prevent their horses from napping on the job.
Countries began speaking up for the animals in the middle to late 19th century. However there were countries that never had any ill feelings towards the misunderstood animal. Norwegians held the hedgehog as a symbol of independent thinkers. The ancient Chinese civilization in the He Be Province regarded their resident hedgehogs as sacred.
Latvians were fond of these little creatures and they were well-loved characters in Latvian folktales. Hedgehogs were often used on traditional charm whistles called Svilpaunicki.
