The tradition of looking to a hibernating animal for a clue as to when we can expect to see the return of spring sunshine originated in Germany. The Germans borrowed the idea from a Christian holiday called Candlemas. The legend about an animal seeing its shadow was part of Candlemas, but the animal in question was a hedgehog instead of a groundhog. The Germans believed that if the sun shone on Candlemas Day, the hedgehog would cast a shadow and they could expect another six weeks of winter. The following poem about Candlemas will probably remind you a great deal of the Groundhog Day tradition: