There's no emblematic groundhog here, but the idea is the same. A Candeloria--February 2nd-- is a day to predict the winter's end. Will it stay cold and rainy? (Actually, this year has been really abnormal and it hasn't rained since last year) Or will spring start soon with Entroido right around the corner? There are several proverbs about the day in Galician. Summed up, they all claim that if A Candeloria is rainy or windy, winter is just getting started.
So sorry, Punxsutawney Phil, but I beg to differ! This year on Februrary 2nd it was a clear day with spring-like warmth at lunchtime. And since it didn't rain, that means spring is right around the corner! The forecast concurs. While the Midwest USA gets battered with snow, it's supposed to get up to 60ºF in the coming week.
Another saying about February 2nd is, ¨Pola Candeloria casan os paxariños.¨ Apparently on this day, the birdies wed. How sweet! Maybe that makes it a combination of Valentine's Day as well as Groundhog's Day! Even with an ocean between them, both holidays might have the same origins. February 2nd is around the day of the Celtic festival of Imbolc, celebrated in between the winter solstice and spring equinox. Then it got Christianized with St. Brigid's Day and Candlemas. And while nowadays not everyone around here even knows what A Candeloria is, the tradition makes for a good Galician comparison for English students learning about Groundhog's Day in the USA.
