Candlemas Crêpes and Groundhog Dialects Echo in Pyrenees Politics

On February 2, Candlemas Day, residents in La Seu d'Urgell and many Andorran households mark the occasion by eating crêpes, a tradition shared with parts of France. The date falls midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, echoing the ancient midpoint marked by All Saints' around the autumn equinox.

This aligns closely with Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, at about 40 degrees north latitude—slightly south of La Seu d'Urgell’s 42 degrees. Both cultures watch the weather for winter's fate: in the Pyrenees, if Candlemas "weeps" with rain, winter ends; if it "laughs" with sun, six more weeks loom. North American groundhogs mirror this—if they see their shadow emerging from hibernation, they retreat for six more weeks; cloudy skies signal spring.

Recent research highlights these rodents' sophistication. Swiss biologist Sarah Marmorosch found that Alpine groundhogs use distinct dialects in alarm calls, varying by valley openness or windiness. This supports earlier work by a CREAF team on Pyrenean groundhogs, which distinguish familiar kin from outsiders.

Punxsutawney's fame surged with the 1993 film *Groundhog Day*—titled *El dia de la marmota* in Catalan, but *Atrapado en el tiempo* in Spanish. Its protagonist, a journalist covering the event, relives February 2 endlessly, trapped in a six a.m. loop. The concept now describes stagnant routines, from commuter rail delays to partisan standoffs.

The column draws a parallel to politics, where governments and opposition speak incompatible "dialects," perpetuating deadlock. True progress, it suggests, would come from occasional common ground—ending the eternal loop.