Here we are again, midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox! It's the midpoint of calendrical winter in the northern hemisphere and time for the fun and silliness of Groundhog Day. Get ready to celebrate on Friday, February 2nd.
On February 2nd, 1887 Groundhog Day was officially celebrated for the first time at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. In Europe it had been an old German tradition to predict how long and cold the weather would be by observing the emergence of hedgehogs from their burrows in mid winter. Once they came to America, German settlers in Pennsylvania chose the ubiquitous groundhog as a replacement for their rodent meteorologist. A newspaper editor in Punxsutawney declared that Phil, the Punxsutawney groundhog, was the country's most reliable weather prognosticator.
There has been a long line of groundhogs known as Punxsutawney Phil ever since then. Phil has come to face competition from other groundhogs in other locations. Among many others, there's Staten Island Chuck in New York and Jimmy of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin and Shubenacadie Sam in Nova Scotia, Canada. What will they say today?
There has been a long line of groundhogs known as Punxsutawney Phil ever since then. Phil has come to face competition from other groundhogs in other locations. Among many others, there's Staten Island Chuck in New York and Jimmy of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin and Shubenacadie Sam in Nova Scotia, Canada. What will they say today?
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