HOPE — As a crowd of more than 160 spectators watched, Grubby made a weather prognostication Sunday that resulted in a few “boos” at the Hope Town Square.
As read this year by Hope resident Rick Gardner: “The groundhog has spoken. It now can be told. Her shadow she sees. Six more weeks more of the cold.”
Not everybody agreed with Grubby’s prediction as interpreted by Gardner and 11 other ceremony officials collectively known as “Grubby’s Groupies.”
Dark clouds suddenly rolled in just before the woodchuck made her prediction, prompting some people such as 9-year-old Mary Rayburn of Columbus to believe Grubby didn’t see her shadow. According to folklore, a lack of a shadow means spring is just around the corner.
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But groundhog handler Kathy Hershey of UTOPIA Wildlife Rehabilitators insists Grubby knew those dark clouds would quickly move out, so they didn’t count. Bright sunshine returned above Hope just minutes after the ceremony.
Despite a cold wind, the temperature was 35 degrees at the time of the 8:30 a.m. event — the warmest Groundhog Day ceremony in the five-year history of the observance in Hope.
And the sun did reappear as predicted by Hershey, with temperatures soaring near 60 degrees Sunday with bright sunshine.
While the folklore celebration is all in fun, groupie Vicki Gardner’s words were both sincere and poignant as she explained the presence of a vacant chair with a top hat. It was in memory of the late Dr. Gregory Sweet, who died last summer at the age of 59.
Although he resided in Shelbyville, the chiropractor had supported the Hope community in a variety of ways for several years, including serving as president of Main Street of Hope. In fact, it was Sweet who first suggested a local annual Groundhog Day ceremony, Vicki Gardner said.
“While he never lived in Hope, he was part of our family,” Vicki Gardner said. “We are thankful for his contributions and his contagious goodness.”
In recent years, the Groundhog Day ceremony in Hope has been enjoying increasing statewide notoriety. WISH-TV in Indianapolis broadcast Sunday’s ceremony for the second year in a row, while organizers were recently interviewed on talk radio station WIBC in Indianapolis.
“I really don’t know of any other small town that does this in Indiana,” said Lizzie Flora, manager of the Yellow Trail Museum and Visitor Information Center in Hope. “It’s a wonderful way to bring in visitors, and it’s amazing the traction this event has received.”
Out-of-town visitors included Chad and Jada Royer, who drove an hour-and-a-half from Springville in Lawrence County to Hope on Sunday morning.
“It’s such a silly little holiday, but I’ve always loved it,” Chad Royer said. “I love all the period dress they do, like the dresses on the women and the top hats — even on the little critter.”
His wife, a teacher, was anxious to have her photograph taken with Grubby as she held a sign that read: “Happy Groundhog Day to Mrs. Jada’s class, Room 103, Bedford Middle School.”
Since his birthday is on Feb. 2, David Rayburn of Columbus says he has always loved celebrating on Groundhog Day.
His wife, Kim Rayburn, says that while her family enjoys the ceremony in Hope, they plan to eventually travel to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to watch the original ceremony founded in 1887.
Mike Crull, who resides only a short distance away in Hartsville, said he enjoys the fellowship that the Groundhog Day ceremony generates.
“It’s good that people have remained involved with this,” Crull said. “It’s been rewarding to watch how it has progressed every year.”
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When the town of Hope had its first Groundhog Day ceremony in 2015, only four men known as "Grubby’s Groupies" presided over the ceremony attended by about 50 people.
On Sunday, the size of the crowd grew to more than 160 – and the number of Grubby’s Groupies has grown to 12.
- Michael Dean
- Susan Thayer Fye
- Vicki Gardner
- Rick Gardner
- Jessica Brown
- Chuck Baker
- David Miller
- Pastor Ed Cottrell
- Donju Taylor
- Jeff Britton
- Lizzie Flora
- Kathy Hershey
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Groundhog Day is a popular tradition celebrated in Canada and the United States on Feb. 2nd. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerging from its burrow on this day sees its shadow due to clear weather, it will retreat to its den and winter will persist for six more weeks. But if the woodchuck does not see its shadow because of cloudiness, spring will arrive early.
The weather lore was brought to North America from German-speaking areas where the badger is the forecasting animal. This appears to be an enhanced version of the lore that clear weather on the Christian Holy Day of Candlemas forebodes a prolonged winter.
Source: "Live Science" news magazine and website. First posted Feb. 2, 2017.
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