As February 2nd rolls around, we are left wondering if there will be six more weeks of what feels like this never ending winter, or if spring is right around the corner. However, sometimes I question why these seasonal predictions are left in the hands of a tiny groundhog?
Roots of this celebration date back to February 2, 1887 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The German stemmed tradition began because groundhogs reminded Germans of their native hedgehogs, and this became a way for them to determine the length of winter. There was even a little rhyme sung as well: “For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, So far will the snow swirl until the May” (Cadillac News).
In modern day, critics have predicted that Punxsutawney Phil will not see his shadow tomorrow, insinuating that spring has sprung! If you have any doubts about this rodent’s intuition, Punxsutawney Phil has been correct 39% of the time (USA Today)! For the 138th Groundhog Day Celebration, up to 30,000 people are projected to attend the event live and millions viewing on television or live streams.
Groundhog Day has tons of media coverage; namely, the 1993 film Groundhog Day increased the attendance of Punxsutawney Phil’s ruling by thousands. Groundhog Day follows a weatherman covering the annual event on television who falls in a time loop, forcing him to relive February 2nd every day!
Moreover, Groundhog Day is only observed in two countries: the United States and Canada. In Canada, Wiarton Willie, of Wiarton, Ontario, is the most renowned Canadian groundhog that has been predicting the end of winter since 1956 (The Canadian Encyclopedia).
My grandmother always wishes me a happy Groundhog Day each February 2nd, and I hope this encourages fun, silly family traditions of predictions and gatherings to see if a groundhog can predict the weather for the rest of the nation!