Groundhog Day My Way

Let's face it, people. Spring does not begin in February. We're almost guaranteed at least six more weeks of winter.

But on the other hand - only six more weeks till Spring!

The things is, seasons aren't always what you expect. Ask a child to draw Winter and you'll get snow and snowmen. So far, this winter hasn't been snowy at all. Most of the snow we got came before Halloween. Ask a child to draw Spring and you'll get green grass and butterflies. But Spring up here is usually... well, it can be snowy. If it isn't snowy it's muddy. It's rainy. It's definitely still cold. Last year the boys played T-ball in winter coats.

Instead of Groundhog Day, I like to celebrate Imbolc. I'm not actually a pagan, and I only know what I remember from my days of celebrating this meal with my friends. Like other holidays, it centered around the food - creamy soup and sauces, egg tarts and eggy, creamy desserts. It's about fertility and rebirth.

Unlike Christmas, which comes way to early in Winter, and Easter, which is way too late to help, (especially when it's rainy and cold and you think you should be outside hunting eggs in the yard) Imbolc comes at a time when spirits are low and the dreariness of winter has really set in. It's going to be OK, it says. This will not last forever. Soon there will be green. Soon we can start over, or start something completely new.