A Peak at Groundhog Days Past

Although 2 February may not strike everyone as an important day, it is quite a popular holiday across the United States. Groundhog Day has earned its spot on the map as the traditions of the holiday carry on year after year.

The exact origins of Groundhog Day are not known, but the holiday is definitely associated with nature and the awakening of animals in certain seasons or at certain times.

The meaning of the day as most people know it is that, if the groundhog sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter and he returns to his hole to rest. If the day happens to be cloudy and the groundhog cannot see his shadow, spring has come and he stays above ground.

Early Christians in Europe had their own holiday for a similar day known as Candlemas. On that day, the clergy members would bless candles and give them out to people to mark a significant point in the winter. The weather on that specific day pointed out the type of winter weather people would endure.

According to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, Roman legions brought this tradition to the Germans, who adopted it and concluded that, if the sun appeared on Candlemas Day, an animal, such as a hedgehog, would cast a shadow predicting six more weeks of inclement weather.

Pennsylvania’s early settlers, most of whom were German, found groundhogs in abundance and closest in comparison to hedgehogs. They determined the animal was intelligent enough, on 2 February, to see its shadow and hurry back into its hole or to stay above ground and enjoy the first sights of spring.

The tradition stayed with Pennsylvanians for centuries, and Punxsutawney, PA, soon became the home to the yearly Groundhog Day celebration. The first recorded observance of the holiday in the town was in 1886.

Punxsutawney Phil, as the famous groundhog came to be known, has seen his shadow ninety-eight times, has not seen his shadow fifteen times, and twelve instances were either not recorded or had questionable outcomes.

“There has only ever been one Phil, and he is making his 126th prediction this year,” Marlene A. Lellock from the Punxsutawney Area Chamber of Commerce said.