Yes, we have our own resident woodchuck, and we named him Woody. He lives beneath our storage shed, to which he has done considerable damage, and he earns his keep by eating our dandelions all summer. It used to be legal to trap and transport, but a recent state law now prohibits us from transforming our nuisance into someone else's problem.

Today is Woody's national holiday. He awakened, this morning, with the rising sun obscured by a heavy cloud bank. In fact, it was snowing very lightly. No official shadow this year. However, an hour later, there were thin breaks in the overcast and brief, weak sunshine. What does that really mean?

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Winter has another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Winter will not come again.

Folks in New Jersey and Pennsylvania tend to attribute the saying to the Pennsylvania Dutch, who brought the idea with them from Germany. Perhaps that is why Punxsutawney Phil is considered our local, official prognosticator. Actually, there are many such animal celebrities who work on February 2, and the custom has been widespread throughout Europe for centuries.

Is this superstition or science? About a hundred years ago, Enos A. Mills, a self-taught naturalist, decided to find out, so he studied mid-winter animal behavior. His observations thoroughly debunked any theory that a groundhog, or any other animal, has any control over the weather.

What does methodic meteorology have to say? Keith C. Heidorn, PhD, The Weather Doctor, explains things more technically. His approach agrees with mine, that weather is cyclical. Rain follows sunshine, follows storm, follows clearing, etc. In New Jersey, we often see a frontal passage every third day. So, if our shadows accompany us today, it is probable that we will be alone tomorrow, and we should maybe carry an umbrella the next day. "Red at night, sailor's delight" does have some scientific truth, most evenings. A ruddy sunset of departing clouds usually means a crisp, clear day tomorrow, plus a propelling wind. A woodchuck's shadow is in a similar category on any winter day, and the usually cold February temperatures often cause snow.

What eternal truth can be gleaned from all this fun and fancy? Well, the calendar may provide a better answer. Jesus was more probably born during spring, but we now celebrate that event on December 25th. The Bible has much to say about a Jewish mother's responsibilities after bearing a male child, and the Law declares that she shall be unclean for seven days, then an additional 30 days, for a total of 40. You can read the details in Leviticus 12:2-8. Forty days after the day we celebrate Christmas is February 2nd in the Gregorian calendar. Some Christian churches observe that day, when Mary completed her purification, and when Jesus was presented at the Temple. Your calendar may call it Candlemas Day.

Let us therefore dismiss the groundhog and all his weather lore, and, instead, focus our minds and hearts on what our Lord has to say about this special day, because Simeon's pronouncement is both personal and prophetic. I have taken this quotation from the New English Bible, Luke 2:22-35.

There was at that time in Jerusalem a man called Simeon. This man was upright and devout, one who watched and waited for the restoration of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been disclosed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary under the Law, he took him in his arms, praised God, and said:

"This day, Master, thou givest thy servant his discharge in peace; now thy promise is fulfilled. For I have seen with my own eyes the deliverance which thou hast made ready in full view of all the nations: A light that will be a revelation to the heathen, and glory to thy people Israel."

The child's father and mother were full of wonder at what was being said about him. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "This child is destined to be a sign which men reject; and you too shall be pierced to the heart. Many in Israel will stand or fall because of him, and thus the secret thoughts of many will be laid bare."