Imbolc Explained: Groundhog Day's Celtic Origins

Ever wonder how Groundhog Day became a thing? It started with Imbolc, a celebration of spring's arrival dedicated to the Celtic fertility goddess Brigid.

Learn the definition, etymology, and history of Imbolc, and in the process uncover how this ancient pagan agricultural festival paved the way for the famed February 2nd North American rodent-watching tradition.

Intro 00:00

What Is Imbolc? 01:44

When Did the Ancient Celts Celebrate Imbolc? 05:24

How Did Imbolc Inspire Groundhog Day? 07:11

Books referenced (note: when you buy through the links below, I may earn a small affiliate commission):

Books by me (I. E. Kneverday):

[Stardustskipper]

Should have included the story of the Cailleach. If the weather is clear she gathers wood to prepare for a longer winter, if the weather is overcast she sleeps in and there will be an early spring.

[greenspiritarts]

There is a Scottish Goddess myth that is directly informing the divinatory aspect of Imbolc as it relates to the weather of the day. The Winter goddess Beira (spelling may be different) descended upon the land around the time of Samhain and her snowy cloak spread across the land. She was a hermit-like wild goddess and not very well liked by the human world, but they respected her. She slept (hibernated, really) in a cave in the wild mountains. As the month of January turned towards its end, Beira would stir in her cave. She looked at her cache of firewood and made the decision as to whether she needed more or not depending on how long she wished to remain in the land. If she decided she wanted to stay longer, then she knew she’d need more firewood, hence, she needed a bright day to go and collect more, which she traditionally did on Imbolc. If she decided she would be departing soon (thus an early spring) then she’d cast a dour (cloudy) day and only gather a few more bits for her wood supply as she would be leaving soon and taking winter with her. So this is a direct connection between the length of the remaining winter and how the quality of sunlight on Imbolc is indicative of what we can expect. I think this is possibly even more directly related to the groundhog ritual. Biera came out of her hibernation and created the kind of daylight she needed in order for her to extend or shorten the remaining days of winter. Some folk have wondered if the early Scots who arrived on this continent might have mistaken the animal Beaver for a totem animal of their familiar goddess Biera due to the similar sounds of the names. Also, Eastern Native people used the pelts of beaver to make fine winter cloaks. Biera’’s cloak was legendary. The leap then from Beaver-as-totem for Biera to a groundhog is not far, especially if there were no more beaver in the newly settled areas in America that the Scots had moved to.
As far as I know, I’ve never heard whether humans could make any appeals to Beira or not to help influence her choice. Obviously they did not want to offer her food or drink as that would keep her around longer! The old woman in Scotland who told me this tale said also that the cloak of Beira was magical because when she would finally depart, the cloak of snow would be rough and ragged and bits of it would tear off at the hem and be left behind in the land. And these bits of the snow-cloak would then thaw and turn into drifts of snowdrops. So even though Beira was a fierce and powerful goddess, she did have a softer side as evidenced by the flowers which, if she left early enough, would often bloom shortly after Imbolc.
The lands we now call Scotland and Ireland used to be one clan-ship/kingship separated by water. Biera may have a counterpart in Ireland, but I only know this story from the lovely old Scottish woman who told me the tale and from some independent studies of my own.

[spiderstheythem]

i can't believe you don't have more subscribers yet. your videos are great and so well-put together. i really appreciate how you always give sources. plus your presentation style is just very fun. heres hoping to a bigger audience!

[brianedwards]

Clear skies let a lot of the daytime warmth back out into space at night (see deserts) but clouds moderate the difference between daytime and night time temperatures like a big soggy blanket.

[CaitrionaDowd]

Hi, I love your videos and they are very informative but when talking of brigid you should also talk of the cailleach the goddess of winter who is connected to brigid who takes over in spring. There is a story of whether the cailleach has to collect firewood on 1 Feb or not if the sun shines and this determines the weather ahead. Also danu/anu is known as brigids mother or grandmother, if the dagda is danu's son. The triple nature of brigid is 3 brigids ( not danu) unlike other triple goddesses like the morrigan that has 3 distinct names. I am a big fan of your work xx

[sasachiminesh]

The holiday marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. The same day is celebrated under different names and themes on all the northern continents. For my people, it marks the beginning of maple sap and a midwinter holiday.

[neclark]

My wife & I just clicked on your YouTube Channel when I spotted the esoteric name Imbolc - and we Thoroughly Enjoyed (and Liked & Subscribed to) your works !

[tommybootlegger]

My birthday was yesterday, Feb 2. And I was blessed beautifully. Much love, y'all.

[rosemarygilman]

I really enjoyed this and learned a lot. I like the way you show what your sources were. That gives me good suggestions for reading material. Thank you!

[bigblue]

I had wondered why the 1nd February was when Spring started.

As for contacts between groups this did happen, especially in coastal areas. We know this through gift giving of items that have been discovered dating from prehistory which originated hundred if not thousands of miles away. As an example some Bronze Age items found in Britain originated in the Mediterranean. These would have held great value so chieftains passing them onto each other would be a sign of not only the givers status but also that of the receivers status. Nuch of this would have been related to trade between groups. So yes there was contact between groups.

[bryanjames]

I live 20 minutes away from Punxy, and have never been to the pagan like gathering in February. But it's definitely interesting how it all came about.

[nairbvel]

Very informative and entertaining video -- thank you! ...and for those thinking, "Why does 'dachs' sound familiar...?" If you want to hunt a burrowing animal, you need a hunting animal that can confront it inside its burrow, thus that animal needs to be able to fit inside the long, relatively narrow burrows. Most hunters breed dogs with characteristics that help them with specific types of hunting... and the German word for dog is "hund"... go ahead, put them together... :-) (Yes, the breed really was created as a hunting animal!)

[kiramccain]

What a fun and timely video. Enjoy your Imbolc time period celebrations of making it " halfway there" to spring 🌼

[FunctionalForm]

Your concise yet thorough presentation of content is outstanding! I found this video while doing research (on Jan. 31st.) regarding Imbolc, and it's been a great resource. You've gained a new - and grateful - subscriber! Thanks for all of your work.

[julieodonnell]

watching this today Feb 2 im in Kildare Ireland .. couldnt be more appriorate to watch thanks so much .😊

[jamescraig]

Being as how Cornwall was the only place outside of Afghanistan where tin was mined and exported during the Bronze Age, it would be safe to conclude that Gaelic cultural influence likely touched many ancient cultures across Europe and the Levant.

[animula]

Trying to attribute seasonal observations to a single original culture is a little dicey. No one gets to monopolize the fact of seasons. It’s weird that people think this is legitimate. It’s fun to learn about different historical observations of this universal phenomenon though. Thank you for that.

[feralbluee]

Thanks much. Soo interesting. Other cultures had to have had a beginning of Spring celebration and a harvest celebration, cause they definitely had a Festival of Lights (Sun return) around December 21st, the shortest day of the year, and in June for the longest day of the year. The Native Americans noted these days and the Eastern Europeans surely did, too. In Greece, I wonder when Saturnalia was - it definitely seems to be like Brigette’s festival. . . 🌥️☃️🍠🌬️ ☀️🌧️🌸🌱 🌳🌾🌼🍓🍉 🌒🔥🍎🌽

[catalystcomet]

Hey, have you done a video on changelings? I read a book about one as a kid and I'm feeling super nostalgic.

[jamieeto]

Good luck on getting more subs. I subscribed! I see you going far!