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Groundhog Day is one of the most eagerly anticipated traditions observed in North America. Dating back to the mid-19th century, it's celebrated every year on February 2 and involves a large furry weather-predicting rodent forecasting either a prolonged winter or an early spring. The history behind this extraordinary ceremony is quite fascinating and rather than rooted in the United States, originates in German-speaking Europe. Intrigued?
Click through and get ready for Groundhog Day!
The first official Groundhog Day in the United States was celebrated on February 2, 1886, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
Punxsutawney resident Clymer Freas (1867–1942) is credited as the "father" who conceived the idea of Groundhog Day. The Groundhog Day celebrations of the 1880s were carried out by the Punxsutawney Elks Lodge. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club was founded in 1899.
The annual event in Punxsutawney takes place at Gobbler's Knob, a rural area 3 km (2 mi) out of town.
It's at Gobbler's Knob on February 2 that the groundhog makes his long-awaited appearance. The furry rodent is known as Phil. But why this name?
This superstitious mindset was carried over to the United States during the 18th and 19th centuries when predominantly Dutch and German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania and Virginia—and groundhogs quickly became the creature of choice used to maintain the tradition.
Actually, at this point it's worth explaining exactly what a groundhog is. Also known as a woodchuck, the mammal belongs to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots, and is found through much of the eastern United States, across Canada, and into Alaska.
According to the New World Encyclopedia, Groundhog Day in America dates back to at least 1841. In that year on February 4, a Morgantown, Pennsylvania, storekeeper called James Morrison noted in his diary the German tradition of using a groundhog to forecast the weather. Morris' diary is in the collections of the Historical Society of Berks County, in Reading, Pennsylvania. Pictured are benches marking the state border between West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Punxsutawney Phil has been forecasting the weather on Groundhog Day for more than 120 years, but just how good is he at his job? Well as it turns out, his track record for weather prediction isn't 100% … or even 50%, according to EarthSky.
The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club declared long ago that Phil, the Punxsutawney groundhog, was America's only true weather-forecasting groundhog. The others are just imposters. But what others?
Groundhog Day has been portrayed in various media, as early in fact as 1935 when the cartoon 'Summertime' featured the weather-predicting rodent.
In German-speaking areas of Europe, people began using animals to forecast the weather, typically badgers and hedgehogs—creatures that would normally hibernate during the winter months. Marmots were also used. The use of animals in this way is based on superstition and appears to be an enhanced version of the lore that clear weather on the Christian festival of Candlemas forebodes a prolonged winter.
Although it's a uniquely North American tradition, the history of this unusual ceremony stretches back hundreds of years to European weather lore and the ancient Christian tradition of Candlemas.
Farmers needed ways to forecast the weather, as they were dependent on their harvests. They faced a constant struggle to earn a living and provide for their families. The use of a groundhog to predict the arrival of spring was therefore not only a way of upholding a long-held tradition, but seen as a means of organizing labor and prioritizing tasks accordingly.
Traditionally, the celebration of Candlemas saw clergy bless and distribute candles needed for the dark winter months. The candles represented how long and cold the season would be.
The origins of Punxsutawney Phil's name are as obscure as they are colorful. Once known simply as the "Br'er Groundhog," some suggest he was christened after the city of Philadelphia. Others insist he's named for a King Phillip, but that explanation is as dubious as it is vague in so far as it's never been specified which King Philip is being referred to.
Many towns across North America now have their own weather-predicting rodents, from Georgia's General Beauregard Lee to Staten Island Chuck (pictured) to Wiarton Willie in Ontario, Canada.
Groundhog Club records note that since 1887, Phil and his predecessors have seen their shadow 104 times, and not seen it only 19 times.
Oddly, there are nine years without any records, an anomaly even the the Punxsutawney Area Chamber of Commerce, which keeps track of these things, can't explain.
After crunching the numbers, data released by the Stormfax Almanac, which has been tracking Phil's predictions since 1887, confirms that the celebrated groundhog has been correct only 39% of the time.
Here's the official Massachusetts groundhog, Ms. G, delighting the crowds at Audubon's Drumlin Farm and Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln.
The event at Punxsutawney is organized by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club's Inner Circle, whose members are recognized from their tuxedos and top hats.
Depending on Phil's prediction— already imparted to the Inner Circle's president—the vice president will then read out from one of two prepared scrolls, either proclaiming six more weeks of winter or an early spring.
In 1993, 'Groundhog Day' starring Bill Murray popularized the usage of "groundhog day" to mean something that is monotonous, unpleasant even, and repeated over and over.
The movie was a hit with audiences and at the box office, and is considered one of the greatest comedy films ever made.
Based on the 1993 film, 'Groundhog Day The Musical' was equally successful. Nominated for and winning several prestigious accolades, including Laurence Olivier and Tony awards, the musical was staged both in London and on Broadway.
John Sanders, Barrett Doss, Andy Karl, and Rebecca Faulkenberry on the Broadway stage on the opening night for 'Groundhog Day The Musical.'
Sources: (New World Encyclopedia) (The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club) (The Old Farmer's Almanac) (EarthSky) (Stormfax)
See also: Surprising celebrities who got their start on Broadway
Groundhog Day is a popular North American tradition celebrated annually in the United States and Canada. On February 2, a groundhog is enticed from its burrow. If the rodent sees its shadow, it gets scared and runs back into its den, predicting six more weeks of winter weather; no shadow means an early spring. In theory!
But speak with any member of the the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club's Inner Circle, however, and they'll insist that Phil's predictions are 100% accurate.
The proclamation is announced at dawn in front of a sizeable crowd of people, many of whom have been partying for much of the night.
Get ready for Groundhog Day!
Really, what is a furry rodent doing predicting the weather?
LIFESTYLE Holidays
Groundhog Day is one of the most eagerly anticipated traditions observed in North America. Dating back to the mid-19th century, it's celebrated every year on February 2 and involves a large furry weather-predicting rodent forecasting either a prolonged winter or an early spring. The history behind this extraordinary ceremony is quite fascinating and rather than rooted in the United States, originates in German-speaking Europe. Intrigued?
Click through and get ready for Groundhog Day!