1887- First Groundhog Day

The first ever Groundhog Day was on February 2, 1887.

According to the tradition, every year a groundhog come up out of the ground. If he sees his shadow, that means there is 6 weeks left of winter. But of there is no shadow, that means winter is finally over.

The tradition was originally started by a Christian celebration called Candlemas Day, where candles would be blessed and handed out. The candles had represented winter- how long and cold the season would be. Germans then expanded on the idea and used hedgehogs to predict the weather. Then, when Germans came to America, the tradition came along with them- but the only thing that changed was the animal being used.

Groundhogs go into hibernation in the late fall. During this time, they can lose 30 percent of their body fat and their heart rates and body temperature drop a significant amount. In February, male groundhogs emerge from their burrows to look for a mate before going underground again. They come out of hibernation again in March.

A group of groundhog hunters from Punxsutawney called the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club declared that Phil, groundhog from Punxsutawney,  was America’s only true weather-forecasting groundhog. Throughout the years, there have been many Punxsutawney Phil-s, but there are also other groundhog forecasters across North America, for example Birmingham Bill, Staten Island Chuck, and Shubenacadie Sam in Canada.

Now, every year, Americans everywhere travel far distances or gather around the TV to watch the groundhogs come out of their burrows and predict the weather. In 1993, the movie ‘Groundhog Day’ was released. It starred Bill Murray and popularized the phrase, which means ‘to happen over and over again.’ Now the Punxsutawney Groundhog club hosts a three day celebration with entertainment and activities.

(Taken from” www.history.com)