Not the Bill Murray Version.

As a native Pennsylvanian, it is my destiny to find out that every single thing I grew up with is actually German. The German versions are often more dour and darker and inevitably somehow connected to Christianity or something fried in grease. That is why you can get donuts on Fastnacht Day (Shrove Tuesday), just like in Pennsylvania. Considering that Fastnacht is the day before Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, this one actually combines both the God and grease factors.

Sometimes it is great to share so much with German culture. I can hardly express my joy at finding a little treat called Strauben at a Volksfest here. My friends were trying to explain what it was to me before we ordered one and my German was still relatively shaky, but slowly but surely I realized that they were talking about funnel cake. O.M.G. The horrible thing is I can hardly remember anything else about that day, but the Strauben has stayed with me.

But how can that most Pennsylvanian of Pennsylvanian "holidays" actually be German?!? Today I was trying to explain Groundhog's Day to my in-laws and they informed me that the holiday is both from Westerwald and actually Catholic. Oh yes, and the actual animal should actually be a badger, and not a groundhog at all.

But on this, the 32nd day of snowfall in the last 33 days, I didn't care that my illusions of a truly American "holiday" were being blown to pieces, because they told me that if it is snowy on February 2nd, it means spring is right around the corner. I might be grasping at straws here, but this is the best news I have gotten in a long, long while.

"Ist’s an Lichtmess hell und rein, wird ein langer Winter sein.
Wenn es aber stürmt und schneit, ist der Frühling nicht mehr weit."

As I write this, it is snowing AGAIN. There is so much snow here in town that they are actually filling construction vehicles with it and hauling it out and dumping it onto the surrounding fields. Our car has not been moved since Saturday, and I don't expect to drive this week at all. It is literally the only thing anyone is talking about, this winter of the century.


And despite the wild animals, the whole date is actually Christian, celebrating the day Mary and Joseph presented Baby Jesus at the temple. How the rodents got involved is beyond me.

Happy Badger Day everyone!