Groundhog Day facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Groundhog Day |
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Groundhog Day 2005 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
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| Observed by | Canada United States |
| Type | Cultural |
| Significance | Predicts the arrival of spring |
| Celebrations | Announcing whether a groundhog sees its shadow after it emerges from its burrow |
| Date | February 2 |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Candlemas |
Groundhog Day is a fun North American tradition celebrated in the United States and Canada every year on February 2. It comes from an old Pennsylvania Dutch belief. The idea is that if a groundhog comes out of its burrow on this day and sees its shadow (because the weather is clear), it will go back into its home. This means winter will last for six more weeks! But if the groundhog does not see its shadow (because it's cloudy), then spring will arrive early.
Even though it's a popular tradition, studies haven't found a clear link between a groundhog seeing its shadow and when spring actually arrives.
This weather prediction idea came from German-speaking areas. There, the badger was the animal that predicted the weather. It seems to be an older version of a belief that clear weather on the Christian holiday of Candlemas means a longer winter.
The most famous Groundhog Day celebration happens in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Here, a special groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil makes the prediction. Other cities in the United States and Canada also celebrate this day.
Contents
The Story of Groundhog Day
How Groundhog Day Started
The Pennsylvania Dutch were immigrants who came from German-speaking parts of Europe. In Germany, they already had a tradition on Candlemas (February 2). They called it "Badger Day" (Dachstag). If a badger came out and saw its shadow on a sunny day, it meant winter would last four more weeks.
German Roots of the Tradition
Candlemas is a Christian holiday. In old folk beliefs, people linked traditions and superstitions to this day. Many of these traditions used Candlemas weather to guess when spring would start.
The animal that predicted the weather on Candlemas was usually the badger. But in some areas, it was a bear or a fox. The bear was the first animal used for weather predictions in Germany. But as bears became rare, the tradition changed to other animals.
There's a German saying that sounds a lot like the groundhog tradition: "If the badger sunbathes during Candlemas-week, for four more weeks he will be back in his hole."
Groundhog Takes the Place of the Badger
The Pennsylvania Dutch kept this tradition, but with a slight change. They believed winter would last six weeks instead of four. In Germany, the animal was the dachs or badger. For the Pennsylvania Dutch, this animal became the dox, which meant "groundhog" in their language.
The common word for "groundhog" was grun′daks. In some areas, it was grundsau, which means "groundhog" directly translated from English. The weather belief that starts "February second is Groundhog day. If the groundhog sees its shadow..." was common across many areas in Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
An old Pennsylvania German saying explains the tradition: "When the groundhog sees his shadow on the morning of February 2, he will again go into his hole and remain there for six weeks. But if the morning of February 2 is overcast, the groundhog will remain outside and there will be another spring."
Simple Candlemas Weather Lore
The German tradition, which added the badger, grew from a simpler belief. This older belief said that if Candlemas Day was sunny and clear, winter would continue. A saying in English (from Scots dialect) goes: "If Candlemas is fair and clear / There'll be two winters in the year." Similar sayings exist in French and German.
The use of candles on Candlemas was inspired by an old Roman tradition. The Roman calendar itself had Celtic roots. Candlemas is also around the same time as Imbolc, one of the Celtic "cross-quarter days". These four days marked the middle points between the longest and shortest days of the year.
British and Irish Traditions
In 1946, a scholar named Rhys Carpenter pointed out that the Badger Day tradition was strong in Germany but not in the British Isles. This suggests that Groundhog Day didn't come from immigrants from those places.
However, some people in Britain believed that the hedgehog could predict how long winter would last. This idea was mentioned in books from the late 1800s.
In the Gaelic calendar of Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, Brigid's Day (February 1) is a day for predicting the weather. In Scotland, a snake might predict spring. On the Isle of Man, it's a large bird. But in Ireland, people watched hedgehogs for this sign: "In Irish folk tradition St. Brighid's Day, 1 February, is the first day of Spring... To see a hedgehog was a good weather sign, for the hedgehog comes come out of the hole in which he has spent the winter, looks about to judge the weather, and returns to his burrow if bad weather is going to continue. If he stays out, it means that he knows the mild weather is coming."
Groundhog Day in the United States
The first known record of Groundhog Day in the United States comes from German communities in Pennsylvania. The earliest mention is from February 2, 1840, in the diary of James L. Morris of Morgantown, Pennsylvania. He was writing about his German neighbors.
Punxsutawney's Role
The first news report about a Groundhog Day event was in the Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper in 1886. It said, "up to the time of going to press, the beast has not seen its shadow." But the first "official" Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania was in 1887. A group traveled to Gobbler's Knob to ask the groundhog about the weather. People have gathered there every year since.
Clymer Freas, a city editor at the Punxsutawney Spirit, is often called the "father" of Groundhog Day. Some believe that all Groundhog Day events started in Punxsutawney and then spread to other parts of the U.S. and Canada.
The Punxsutawney Elks Lodge started the Groundhog Day celebrations in the 1880s. Members of this lodge later formed the Groundhog Club, which continued the tradition. The lodge was also interested in groundhogs as food. They used to serve groundhog meat and organize a hunting party each year.
The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club was formed in 1899. They continued the hunt and a "Groundhog Feast" in September. The "hunt" became more of a ritual, as the meat was prepared beforehand. A special "groundhog punch" was also served. The meat was said to taste like a mix of pork and chicken. The hunt and feast eventually stopped because they didn't attract enough visitors.
The groundhog wasn't named Phil until 1961. This name might have been a nod to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Punxsutawney Today
The biggest Groundhog Day celebration happens in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Crowds of up to 40,000 people gather there each year. This is almost eight times the town's normal population! Before the 1993 movie Groundhog Day came out, about 2,000 people attended. After the movie, which is set at the Punxsutawney event, attendance jumped to about 10,000. The official Phil is said to be very old, supposedly the same groundhog since 1887.
In 2019, on the 133rd year of the tradition, the groundhog came out at 7:25 AM on February 2. He did not see his shadow. Fans watched Phil's arrival starting at 6:00 AM, thanks to a live stream from Visit Pennsylvania. The live stream has been a tradition for years, letting more people watch the "animal meteorologist."
In 2021, for the 135th celebration, many of the Inner Circle members had to wear masks. The groundhog was called out at 7:25 AM on February 2 and saw its shadow. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony was held without fans.
Other Groundhog Day Celebrations
United States Celebrations
The Slumbering Groundhog Lodge, started in 1907, holds ceremonies in Quarryville, Pennsylvania. This lodge used to be a big rival to Punxsutawney for Groundhog Day fame. They use a stuffed groundhog for their predictions.
In Southeastern Pennsylvania, Groundhog Lodges (Grundsow Lodges) celebrate with fersommlinge. These are social events with food, speeches, and plays. Only the Pennsylvania German dialect is spoken. If someone speaks English, they pay a small fine, like a nickel or dime, which goes into a bowl.
In Milltown, New Jersey, Milltown Mel predicts the weather. This event happens at the American Legion in the early morning. It has become very popular, with more people attending each year. Many people go before school or work on weekdays. Coffee and doughnuts are given out by the event's sponsor. Mel lives year-round at the funeral home that sponsors the event. She has an outdoor area and a climate-controlled indoor cage.
In the Midwest, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, calls itself the "Groundhog Capital of the World." They took this title after a 1952 newspaper article called Sun Prairie a "remote two cow village." In 2015, Jimmy the Groundhog bit the ear of Mayor Jon Freund. This story quickly went viral around the world. The next day, the mayor officially said Jimmy XI was not at fault.
Buckeye Chuck is Ohio's official State Groundhog. He lives in Marion, Ohio.
Staten Island Chuck is New York City's official weather-forecasting groundhog. Dunkirk Dave is the local groundhog for Western New York. He is cared for by Bob Will, who runs a rescue shelter for groundhogs.
In Washington, D.C., the Dupont Circle Groundhog Day event features Potomac Phil. This is another stuffed groundhog. From 2012 to 2018, Phil's predictions always matched Punxsutawney Phil's. He also always predicted six more months of political gridlock. But in 2019, after being accused of working together, Potomac Phil disagreed with Punxsutawney Phil. He also predicted two more years of political craziness.
In Raleigh, NC, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences holds an annual event with Sir Walter Wally. Museum officials say Wally has been correct 58% of the time, compared to Punxsutawney Phil's 39%.
In the American South, General Beauregard Lee makes predictions from Lilburn, Georgia. The University of Dallas in Irving, Texas claims to host the second-largest Groundhog celebration in the world.
Canadian Celebrations
Groundhog Day is also celebrated in various places across North America, outside the United States.
Because Nova Scotia is in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone, Shubenacadie Sam makes the first Groundhog Day prediction in North America. "Daks Day" (from the German dachs) is what Groundhog Day is called in the dialect of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.
In French Canada, the day is known as French: Jour de la marmotte. Fred la marmotte of Val-d'Espoir has been the official forecaster for Quebec since 2009. Studies show that in Quebec, the groundhog is seen as a Candlemas weather predictor in some places. However, the bear is more commonly the animal used for predictions.
Wiarton Willie makes predictions every year from Wiarton, Ontario.
Balzac Billy is the "Prairie Prognosticator." He is a man-sized groundhog mascot who predicts the weather on Groundhog Day from Balzac, Alberta.
How Accurate Are the Predictions?
In Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil is a very popular tradition. On February 2, people gather to see if Phil's shadow appears. Based on this, he supposedly decides if spring will start soon (no shadow) or if winter will continue for six more weeks (sees shadow). However, as mentioned, there's no scientific proof that these predictions are accurate.
Similar Weather Traditions
In Croatia and Serbia, Orthodox Christians have a tradition on February 2 (Candlemas) or February 15 (Sretenje). They believe the bear wakes up from winter sleep. If it sees its shadow in this sleepy state, it gets scared and goes back to sleep for 40 more days. This means winter will last longer. So, if it's sunny on Sretenje, winter is not over. If it's cloudy, winter is ending soon.
In Germany, on June 27, they celebrate Seven Sleepers' Day (Siebenschläfertag). If it rains that day, people believe the rest of summer will be rainy. Also, in the United Kingdom, July 15 is St. Swithin's Day. Traditionally, if it rained on that day, it was thought it would rain for the next 40 days and nights.
Groundhog Day in Pop Culture
The holiday became much more famous after the 1993 comedy movie Groundhog Day was released. It starred Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. The movie earned over $70 million and became the 13th highest-grossing film of that year. Over time, the movie became a cult classic. It greatly increased how many people knew about and attended Groundhog Day events.
See also
In Spanish: Día de la Marmota para niños
