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On Ground Hog Day, February 2nd, we in America watch with bated breath to see what Punxsutawney Phil will do when he is awakened from his slumber, in order to forecast – with 50% accuracy! – what the weather will be like for the next six weeks. Ground hogs, or woodchucks, to give them their proper name, are indigenous to North America, and are unknown in Hungary. Their name is translated as “American marmot”.
Nevertheless, Hungary too, observes February 2nd as a day for forecasting the weather. There, it is up to the bears to indicate what is in store meteorologically in the coming month and a half. If they come out of their dens, and find that the sun is not shining, people believe they will stay out, because winter will be over soon. If they see their shadow, they go back into their caves to sleep some more, because more cold weather is on the way.
Another weather related bit of folklore concerns February 24th, the feast of St. Matthias, or Mátyás. Over the centuries, the people observed that around February 24th, there often came a strong warming trend, causing a thaw. So they came up with the saying that
If he finds no ice,
Matthias will bring plenty.
But if he finds plenty,
he takes away all the ice.
Hogyha nem talál jeget,
majd hoz Mátyás eleget.
De ha talál eleget,
mind elviszi a jeget.
That is why Mátyás is known as “the icebreaker” – a jégtörő.
The illustrations are taken from a primer published in Budapest in 1940.
EPF
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