Groundhog Day Celebrations

Will spring make an early appearance? Leave it to Punxsutawney Phil, “Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Weather Prophet Extraordinaire,” to tell us!

German settlers in Pennsylvania have been following the legend of Candlemas Day since their settlement in the 17th century, which was originally the pagan tradition of predicting an early spring. Candlemas Day, also known as Imbolc, was celebrated when serpents or badgers were used to predict the coming season by rising from their dens and looking for a shadow. If a shadow was present they would return to their dens for 6 more weeks, meaning winter weather would stick around. Unfortunately, these animals were not native to the Keystone State. However, Germans noticed a large number of groundhogs in western Pennsylvania. Therefore, the groundhog became the animal to carry on the tradition.

Groundhog Day was first recognized on February 2, 1886. February 2, 1887 was the first recorded Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney, Pa., thanks to the local newspaper, The Punxsutawney Spirit. Since then, Phil has been making his forecast for the upcoming spring seasons and basing the prediction on whether or not he sees his shadow. How has Phil surpassed the usual lifespan of a groundhog you may ask? The story says that once every year, Phil drinks a special elixir which adds 7 more years to his furry and future-telling life. Thanks to this special potion, Phil is now 130 years old!

On Groundhog Day, Phil stays at Gobbler’s Knob which is where the prediction of an early spring or late winter is made. If Phil sees his shadow, which he has done 109 times, that means winter will last 6 more weeks. When Phil does not see his shadow, spring will come early. The early spring prediction has been made only 21 times. Ten years have been left out of the records due to other circumstances.

During the slow season, Phil lives in the Punxsutawney Library with his wife Phyllis. Their home consists of a living space, a bathroom and two sleeping dens. Not a bad abode for the first family of groundhogs.

If you ask Phil how accurate his predictions are he’ll say “100 percent!”

Image: Groundhog Day from Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa. (Anthony Quintano, Wikimedia Commons)