IF GROUNDHOG DAYS WAS A HASSIDIC HOLIDAY

FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY, PLEASE DONT.....GROUNDHOG DAY IS NOT A JEWISH HOLIDAY/////BUT IF IT WERE, AND PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL, WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS WORSHIPPED.....THE FOLLOWING IS A PSEUDO SCENARIO OF WHAT WE WOULD SEE IN PENNSYLVANIA TOMORROW'

ALL ACROSS THE NORTHEAST, HASSDIC MOTHERS ARE COOKING THEIR BRAINS OUT WITH FABULOUS DELICASIES...THEY ARE PACKING BASKETS WITH JARS OF PICKELED HERRING, LOX WRAPPED IN WAXED PAPER,, BAGELS AND BIALIES, POTS OF BRISKET, STUFFED CABBAGE, CHOLENTS(BEAN&MEAN STEW) KNISHES, SALADS OF ALL KINDS, BREADS AND ROLLS,KNISHES, PICKLES AND PICKEL TOMATOES, PASTRAMI AND CORNED BEEF... ALL KINDS OF PASTIRES, AND DRINKS....
NEATLY PACKED FRSH IRONED TABLE CLOTHS, AND LINEN NAPKINS......AND SILVER AND BRASS CANDLE STICKS AND BOXES OF CANDLES....PUT INTO TRUNKS.......AND A LARGE NUMBER OF PRAYER BOOKS..

PORTABLE RECORD PLAYERS WERE ALSO READY TO BE LOADED INTO BUSES AND VANS FOR THEIR TREK TO PENNSYLVANIA. CHILDRENS CLOTHES WERE WASHED AND IRONED, AND THE LADIES WERE SETTING THEIR WIGS TO BE GLAMOUROUS..THEIR SHEYTLES THEIR SIGNATURE...OF MARRIED HASSIDIC LADIES. A BIG DAY LIES AHEAD.

AT DAY BREAK, ALL OVER THE HASSIDIC COMMUNITY..FROM BROOKLYN, TO MONSEY NY TO MONROE NY....WERE READY TO LEAVE FOR THEIR 2 HOUR TRIP TO PUNXSUTANWY PHIL...TO WORSHIP HIM AND PRAY TO HIM FOR AN EARLY SPRING.

THE BUSSES AND VANS PULLED TO THE PARKING LOTS.....HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE STARTED SETTING UP PICNIC TABLES, LIGHTING FIRES IN PARK FIREPLACES AND GRILLS....THE WOMEN STARTED COVERING THE TABLES WITH THEIR CLEAN CRISP CLOTHS, SETTING UP THE CANDLEABRAS, AND SETTING FANTASTIC DISPLAY OF DELISHOUS FOODS FOR THE PEOPLE TO EAT, WHEN THE CEREMONIES WERE FINISHED. THE MEN AND BOYS OVER 13 TOOK THEIR PRAYER BOOKS, AND SURROUNDED THE HOLE WHERE PHIL THE GROUNDHOG WOULD COME UP AND LOOK OUT.
THEY ALL OPENED THEIR PRAYER BOOKS AND STARTED PRAYING....THEY BENT FORWARD AND THEN SWAYED BACK...AND KEPT BENDING AND PRAYING...AND CHANTING...MOST WERE WEARING THEIR FUR HATS AND THEIR PEYESS (LONG CURLS) SWAYED IN THE MOVEMENT.....THE HAUNTING CHANTS,OF THE MULTITUDES....EVENTUALY SUMMONED PHIL FROM HIS HOLE AND HE STUCK HIS HEAD UP....WHEN THEN MEN SAW HIM EMERGE...THE SWAYING AND PRAYING GOT WILDER AND LOUDER....AT THAT POINT...ONE OF THE WOMEN PUT ON A RECORD ON THE WIND UP RECORD PLAYER.....HAVA NEGILA.....AND THE MEN STARTED DANCING IN A CIRCLE AROUND THE GROUND HOG HOLE....WHICH SCARED PHIL, AND HE RETUNED DOWN THE HOLE. THE DANCING CONTINUE...IN WILD WHIRLS AND TWIRLS....AND OTHER HASSIDIC MUSIC REPLACED HAVA NEGLIA, AND THEN MEN DANCED AS THE WOMEN HEATED THE FOOT AND SET IT OUT. THE FIRST DEVOURED WAS PIECES OF PICKLED HERRING....WHICH THEY GRABBED ON WOODEN TOOTHPICKS..mOST OF THE MEN SEEMD TO DRIP THE HERRING JUICE ONTO THEIR BLACK COATS, BUT DIDNT MIND IT....THEY WERE ALL VERY HAPPY...FOR IT WAS YONTIV)HOLIDAY) GROUND HOG DAY, ONE OF THE HOLIEST DAYS OF THE YEAR..... ONE OF THE WOMEN WAS CHOSEN TO OFFER A PLATE OF FOOD TO PHIL, AND PLACED IT NEAR THE OPENING TO HIS DEN.....WHICH SURPRISED ME BECAUSE I DIDNT REALIZE THAT GROUNDHOGS ATE KOSHER....ESPECIALLY, PASTRAMI IF VERY FATTENING FOR A GROUND HOG.
AFTER THEY ATE AND DRANK, CHILDREN PLAYED GAMES....LIKE PIN THE TAIL ON THE YENTA, AND SPIN THE GROUNDHOG...A CLAY GOURNDHOG, WHICH WHEN SPINNED AND POINTS TO THE WINNER...THE WINNER GETS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE ONE OF THE OTHER CHIDLREN FEEL GUILTY.