Groundhog Day…And I Don't Mean The Movie

NEWS FLASH—THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, PUNXSUTAWNEY, PENNSYLVANIA:  PHIL WILL EMERGE FROM HIS BURROW TO PREDICT WHEN WINTER WILL END.  NO SHADOW…NO MORE WINTER.  SEES HIS SHADOW…SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER!

By a strange coincidence those six more weeks of winter takes us almost to the Vernal Equinox which signals the official end of winter and the first day of spring.

Every year on February 2 a furry rodent of the groundhog variety named Punxsutawney Phil sticks his head out of his burrow in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to do his annual weather forecast.  In the United States and Canada, this is celebrated as Groundhog Day.  If Phil sees his shadow, it will frighten him and he'll return to his burrow.  If he doesn't see his shadow, he'll emerge and winter will soon be over.

At least, that's what the tradition claims.

The earliest American written reference to a groundhog day was 1841 in Pennsylvania's Berks County (Pennsylvania Dutch) referring to it as the German celebration called Candlemas day where a groundhog seeing its shadow was a weather indication.  Superstition says that fair weather at that time was seen as a prediction of a stormy and cold second half to winter, as noted in this Old English saying:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,

Winter has another flight.

If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,

Winter will not come again.

Since the first official celebration of Groundhog Day in Pennsylvania in 1886, crowds as large as 40,000 people have gathered in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, for the annual celebration.  And in recent years it's been covered live on television.  Quite an accolade for the little ol' groundhog.  Since 1887, the groundhog has seen his shadow over 100 times [hmm…I wonder how many of those recent times were due to the television lights] predicting a longer winter and has not seen it only a few times to predict an early spring.  There is no record of his prediction for 9 years in the late 1800s.

The groundhog, also known as a woodchuck, is a member of the squirrel family.  The current Punxsutawney Phil weighs fifteen pounds and lives in a climate controlled home in the Punxsutawney library.  On Gobbler's Knob, Phil is placed in a heated burrow underneath a simulated tree stump on a stage before being pulled out at 7:25AM to make his annual prediction. Quite removed from the concept of the groundhog waking from hibernation and emerging from his burrow in the wild.  :)

Over the decades, the groundhog has only about a 30% accuracy record. The television weatherman is far more accurate than that.

Creepiest Places On Earth, part 2 of 2

Creepiest places—those words conjure up an image of eerie, disturbing, unnerving, and maybe even spine-chilling. This week's blog is a continuation of last week's list.

Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary In San Francisco Bay, California

Located in San Francisco Bay, California, the island has a long history dating back to the Civil War when it was a lighthouse, a fortress, and military prison. It's also been a bird sanctuary, site of the American Indian Red Power movement, and—most famously—a federal penitentiary. It's now part of the National Park Service with tours open to the public [an interesting tour, I've taken it]. It opened as a penitentiary on August 11, 1934, was nicknamed The Rock, and was considered escape proof due to its location on a 22 acre island in San Francisco Bay surrounded by cold water and treacherous ocean currents and tides. It housed many infamous criminals, but probably the two most famous were Al Capone and Robert Stroud (the Birdman of Alcatraz). Numerous creepy incidents have been reported over the years, many relating to hauntings, and to this day unexplained happenings still occur. The prison was closed on March 21, 1963, because it was too expensive to operate. Everything, including such basics as drinking water, had to be brought in by boat.

Ed Gein's Home In Plainfield, Wisconsin

Following the death of his mother, Ed Gein started digging up graves of recently buried middle-aged women, taking their bodies home, tanning their skins and using them to make various items. Soon after that, he began to abduct and kill women. Police were eventually led to Gein's farmhouse where they made horrific discoveries—chairs reupholstered with fatty human skin, a soup bowl made from a human skull, a shade pull made of lips, masks made from human faces, and a vest made from a woman's torso. The remains of 11 women were found in his house. His horrendous crimes have been the inspiration for films like Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Silence Of The Lambs.

The Dakota In New York City

The building was constructed in 1884 on Manhattan's Upper West Side, an area so remote at that time that it was named The Dakota after the vast Dakota Territory. It was the inspiration for the 1967 film Rosemary's Baby included witchcraft, Satanism, cannibalism, and murder. Common occurrences at The Dakota include phantom footsteps, mysterious rumblings, and elevators moving on their own. Over the years, The Dakota has been the home of many celebrities. John Lennon lived there at the time of his murder in 1980.

The Winchester Mystery House In San Jose, California

The sudden smell of chicken soup, apparitions from other eras, and doors that magically unlock are just some of the reported paranormal occurrences in the Winchester Mystery House. After her husband (heir to the Winchester rifle fortune) and only child died, Sarah Winchester consulted a psychic in Boston who said her family was haunted by those killed by the rifles. She was instructed to build a house to appease those spirits and as long as the construction continues, she would be safe. In 1866 she bought an unfinished farmhouse in what is now San Jose, California, and hired a construction crew to work around the clock. The house now has 160 rooms, 2000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 stairways, 47 fireplaces, and 6 kitchens. Stair that lead nowhere, doors that open to a wall, other doors that open to a drop from the second floor to the first floor. She was also obsessed with the number 13—staircases with 13 steps, windows with 13 panes of glass, she even had a light added to a chandelier so it would contain 13 lights. Sarah Winchester died on September 5, 1922. 

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado

The Stanley Hotel actually enjoys its reputation. Their in-house paranormal investigator called it 'a Disneyland for spirits.' The hotel was built in 1909 and sports a varied roster of spirits including a maid who climbs into bed between unmarried couples, a maintenance man who enforced a strict 11PM curfew, a musical spirit that hums along the concert hall, and an affectionate ghost named Eddie who's known to stroke women's hair and kiss their cheeks. In 1974, author Stephen King and his wife stayed there. That stay was the genesis for his classic 1977 novel, The Shining, where he renamed the Stanley Hotel as the Overlook Hotel for the book. 

The Amityville Horror House On Long Island, New York

The Amityville massacre has become one of the most famous crimes in American history, due in part to the novel and movie depicting the crimes and focusing on demonic forces some believe were involved and responsible. Heroine and LSD user Ronald DeFeo, Jr., was found guilty of murdering his family November 13, 1974. He claimed he heard voices telling him to kill his family. A year after the murder, the Lutz family moved into the house. Soon after, they reported some supernatural occurrences such as red eyes at windows, swarms of flies, the imprint of cloven hoofs in the snow, and voices screaming at them to get out. Less than a month after moving, they fled and left all their possessions behind. Many questioned DeFeo's and the Lutz's claims of paranormal activities. DeFeo later rejected his initial defense. The Lutz's maintained their claim until their deaths.

Hmm…now that I look back over this part 2 list, I realize that all the places mentioned here are in the U.S. rather than international. The American Revolutionary War began on April 19, 1775, with the battle at Concord and Lexington. We officially put the British on notice of our intensions on July 4, 1776, when we issued The Declaration of Independence. The Revolutionary War ended October, 1781, when Cornwallis surrendered British troops at Yorktown, Virginia. Two years later, September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris made it official. Our history as an independent country is relatively short compared to many other countries.

I apparently need to look into creepy places in other countries.  😊

Creepiest Places On Earth, part 1 of 2

I recently came across two lists, one that claimed to be the scariest places on Earth and the other said it was the creepiest places on earth. And they were not the same list. These lists weren't a reference to most haunted places. That would have made it a Halloween blog. :)  Although, some of the places on these lists are said to be haunted. Some of these places have been abandoned due primarily to man's misdeeds. This list, in no particular order, is part 1 of a 2-part blog.

1)  Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic

When you have the remains of over 40,000 people, what do you do with all those bones? The Abbot of Sedlec went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1278 and brought back some dirt he claimed came from Jesus' burial site. Immediately thereafter Catholics from all over Europe started demanding burial in the Sedlec Ossuary cemetery. The cemetery obviously didn't have the space to accommodate all the continual requests. In the 16^th century, the church staff dug up everyone buried there and used those bones for decoration: there's a chandelier made from one of every bone in the human body, garlands of skulls, and a replica of the Schwarzenberg coat of arms made from bones.

2) Centralia, Pennsylvania

Our incredible natural resources is one thing that has made America such a prosperous country. Unfortunately, those natural resources can occasionally turn on us and that's what happened when a coal mine near Centralia, Pennsylvania, caught fire in 1962. The veins of coal ran under the town which ultimately turned Centralia into a literal hellhole. Temperatures over 1000 degree Fahrenheit accompanied by belching clouds of poisonous gas. Once the initial conflagration settled down, people began to move back but soon discovered that the veins of coal were still burning resulting in blazing hot sinkholes that swallowed people without warning. Most of the residents have moved away.

3)  Pripyat, Ukraine (Chernobyl)

A colossal example of man's ability to really screw up the planet is on display in Pripyat in the Ukraine. The town's former population of 49,000 was evacuated following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 while Ukraine was still part of the Soviet Union before it broke up into its original countries. Ukraine declared its independence from Russia in 1991. Now referred to as the zone of exclusion, Chernobyl looks like a freaky ghost town. The few people who have ventured back into the town report an atmosphere of desolation and terror. Dolls on school house floors, vehicles in disrepair on the roadsides, and the skeleton of an abandoned amusement park that's hauntingly scary.

4)  Aokigahara Suicide Forest

The Aokigahara Forest at the base on Mt. Fuji in Japan is associated with multiple demons in Japanese folklore. There's something about the supernatural forest that drives people to suicide. An average of 100 people travel to Aokigahara every year to kill themselves, mostly by hanging or drug overdose. Legend says that in the 19^th century families would abandon their elderly relatives there to die when they couldn't take care of themselves.

5)  Lome Bazaar, Togo

If you've ever been to a street market in a third world country, then you know how crazy things can be. So, take all that energy and put it in a bazaar that sells only materials for voodoo and you have the Lome Bazaar in Togo. The bazaar is a one stop shop for a wide variety of terrifying things used to perform frightening functions. The absolute volume of grisly death that stares at you is enough to make the strongest person weak in the knees.

6)  Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Cambodia

The Khmer Rouge period of Cambodia's past is one of the scariest genocides in history. Millions of innocents were slaughtered and the museum is located where it all happened. In Khmer, "Tuol Sleng" translates as "Strychnine Hill." The museum is housed in a former death camp and notoriously haunted by ghosts of the thousands who died there. Of the 17,000 people who were admitted to the prison, only seven survived.

7)  Body Farm in Knoxville, Tennessee

Sometimes science has to do some pretty disgusting things to make advancements, but we don't make them vacation spots. Studying the decomposition of the human body can give researchers lots of knowledge useful to medicine, forensics, and others. To monitor a body decomposing in real time, you go to the body farm on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. It's a 2.5 acre of land and at any time has multiple bodies laid out in various positions. Over 100 corpses are donated to the Body Farm every year. Several detective/forensics/crime shows, both entertainment programming and documentaries, have used the concept of the Body Farm in their episodes.

8)  Helltown, Ohio

The village of Boston was founded in Ohio's Summit County in 1806 and succeeded until 1974 when something weird happened. President Ford signed a bill authorizing the area to be turned into a national park, the houses were purchased and boarded up, but no park was ever built, resulting in a deserted town in the middle of nowhere. The newly named Helltown spawned some terrifying legends including Satanist sacrifices, mysterious toxic waste spills, and an escaped mental patient who wanders the woods.

9)  Fengdu, China

With China's population, there isn't much room left for a ghost town—except for Fengdu, located on the north bank of the Yangtze River. Fengdu is completely abandoned. It's rumored to be a junction point between Earth and the underworld where rampaging demons grab unaware souls.

10)  La Isla De La Munecas, Mexico

Dozens of small, uninhabited islands dot the canals south of Mexico City. It's not just the polluted runoff from Mexico City that makes the area less than desirable. Fifty years ago, a man named Don Julian Santana lived the life of a hermit on one of the islands. One day he fished the corpse of a young girl out of the water. As a form of protection, he started hanging dolls from the tree limbs and branches on his island. He continued to do this over the next few decades until the entire island was cluttered with broken, weathered dolls giving it the appearance of a terrifying place.

That's part 1 of 2 of the list of creepiest places. Next week I'll share part 2.

THOSE WE LOST IN 2022

 

When looking over several lists from different sources of those we lost in 2022, I was overwhelmed by the number of people listed. They included the world setting of politics, religion, science, and all facets of the entertainment industry. Rather than trying to list all or even most of them, I selected 14 individuals as a representative cross section presented here in alphabetical order.

Madeleine Albright, 84 years old. First woman to hold the position of Secretary of State of the United States of America and after that a prominent figure on the world stage of politics.

Gallager, 76 years old. Watermelon smashing comic.

Mikhail Gorbachev, 91 years old. The last premier to head the Soviet Union. He was responsible for many reforms that led to an openness resulting in the Soviet Union breaking up into the individual countries. Responsible for helping to end the Cold War era.

Angela Lansbury, 96 years old. Actress who achieved award winning status in all facets of the entertainment industry—movies, television, stage, music. Probably best known for her television series, Murder, She Wrote.

Jerry Lee Lewis, 87 years old. One of the first inductees into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, a pioneering performer who helped to usher in the rock and roll era.

Loretta Lynn, 90 years old. Superstar in country music

Christine McVie, 79 years old. Iconic performer with pioneering rock group Fleetwood Mac.

Olivia Newton-John, 75 years old. Australian singer and actress who appeared in many films, her most famous probably Grease co-starring with John Travolta.

Pele, 82 years old. Brazilian soccer star with phenomenal career.

Sidney Poitier, 94 years old. The first African American to win an Academy Award for Best Actor [Hattie McDaniel was the first African American performer to win an Academy Award in 1939 as Best Supporting Actress for Gone With The Wind]. Among Poitier's many awards over his career include the Medal Of Freedom presented to him by President Obama.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, 95 years old. He stepped down as Pope in 2013 due to failing health. This is the first time in many centuries that a Pope's funeral has been presided over by the current sitting Pope.

Queen Elizabeth II, 96 years old. Longest reigning monarch in British History with 70 years on the throne.

Vin Scully, 94 years old. Sportscaster who was the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team for over 6 decades.

Barbara Walters, 93 years old. Prominent in television news, the first woman to anchor an evening network television newscast. Creator and long time host of The View.

I know there are many, many more who deserve to be on this list. I had a very difficult time cutting it down to just these 14.

History of New Year's Celebrations

Welcome to 2023.  This has become a traditional time of celebration.  We party on New Year's Eve and celebrate the moment the clock strikes midnight signaling the beginning of a new year.

And, of course, when the year 2000 arrived we celebrated for twenty-four hours as each time zone around the world welcomed the new millennium on live television broadcasts.

But why and how did the New Year's celebrations become part of our annual routine?  The earliest recorded account of a celebration in honor of the new year dates back four thousand years to ancient Babylon.  For the Babylonians, the first new moon following the vernal (spring) equinox announced the arrival of the new year.  They celebrated this spring time event with a massive eleven day religious festival called Akitu.  It was during this time that a new king was crowned or the current ruler's mandate renewed.

Throughout antiquity, civilizations around the world developed more sophisticated calendars with the first day of the year associated with an agricultural or astronomical event.  For example, in Egypt the year began with the annual flooding of the Nile which coincided with the rising of the star Sirius.  In China, the new year occurred with the second new moon after the winter solstice…a day they still celebrate.

The early Roman calendar had 10 months and 304 days with each new year beginning at the vernal equinox.  Tradition holds that it was created by Romulus, the founder of Rome, in the eighth century B.C.  Numa Pompilius, a later king, is credited with adding the months of Januarius and Februarius.  Over the ensuing centuries, the Roman calendar grew out of sync with the sun.  In 46 B.C., Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar which closely resembles the more modern Gregorian calendar used today by most countries.

As part of his reform, Julius Caesar declared January 1 as the first day of the year and Romans celebrated by exchanging gifts, decorating their homes, and attending raucous parties.  In medieval Europe, Christian leaders temporarily replaced January 1 as the first day of the year with days carrying more religious significance, such as December 25 as the anniversary of Christ's birth and March 25 as the Feast of the Annunciation.  It was Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 who re-established January 1 as New Year's Day.

In many countries, New Year's celebrations begin on New Year's Eve and continue into the early hours of January 1^st.  These celebrations often include specific foods that are said to bring good luck for the coming year—grapes in Spain, round fruits in the Philippines, suckling pig in Austria, soba noodles in Japan, rice pudding in Norway, and black-eyed peas in the southern United States.  Other customs that are common worldwide include making new year resolutions (a practice started by the Babylonians) and watching fireworks displays.

In the United States, the most famous New Year's tradition is the dropping of the giant ball in New York City's Times Square.  This event, first instituted in 1906, occurs at the stroke of midnight.  The original giant ball was made of iron and wood weighing 400 pounds.  A total of 7 versions of the Ball have been designed over the more than a century since the first drop of the ball occurred.

Today's giant ball is a brightly patterned sphere 12 feet in diameter and weighing nearly 12,000 pounds.  Each year, the 2688 intricate Waterford crystals that make up the skin of the huge orb are replaced with new ones.  192 Waterford Crystal triangles introduce the new Gift of Goodwill design of three pineapples signifying the traditional image of hospitality and goodwill. 192 are the Gift of Harmony design of small rosette cuts flowing into each other in beautiful harmony. 192 are the Gift of Serenity design of butterflies flying peacefully above a crystal meadow capturing the spirit of serenity. 192 are the Gift of Kindness design consisting of a circle of rosettes symbolizing unity with the fronds reaching out in an expression of kindness. 192 are the Gift of Wonder design composed by a faceted starburst inspiring our sense of wonder. 192 are the Gift of Fortitude design of diamond cuts on either side of a crystal pillar to represent the finer attributes of resolve, courage, and spirit necessary to triumph over adversity. The remaining triangles are the Gift of Imagination design with a series of intricate wedge cuts that are mirrored reflections of each other inspiring our imagination.

The 2,688 Waterford crystal triangles are bolted to 672 LED modules which are attached to the aluminum frame of the ball.  The ball is capable of displaying a palette of more than 16 million colors and billions of patterns that create a spectacular kaleidoscope effect as the ball drops down a flagpole at the stroke of midnight Eastern Standard Time.

So, however you celebrate this year's arrival of the new year…I wish everyone a happy and healthy 2023. And Peace On Earth.