The verdict fromPunxsutawney Philis in, and it’s going to be spring!
On Friday, a.k.a.Groundhog Day, people from around the country waited to see what the famous groundhog would see when he emerged from his hole. And good news: for thefirst time in two years, Phil didn’t see his shadow, meaning that he predicts spring will come early.Had Phil rose from his burrow and not seen his shadow, that would indicate there were still be an extra six weeks of winter weather.
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The origins of Groundhog Dog can be traced back to the early holiday of Candlemas (Feb. 2), in which Christians bring their candles to church and have them blessed, per thePunxsutawney Groundhog Club.
Punxsutawney Phil.Barry Reeger/AP/Shutterstock
German immigrants brought the tradition to Pennsylvania going back to the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1886, according to the Punxsutawney Ground Club, the first Groundhog Day was reported in a newspaper, and the following year the first official trek to Gobbler’s Farm began–kicking off a tradition that continues to to this day.
AP Photo/Barry Reeger
Although he is famously known as a weather forecaster, Phil always doesn’t get it right. In a comparison between previous U.S., weather forecasts and Phil’s predictions, the groundhog has hit the mark only about 40 percent of the time, according to theNational Centers for Environmental Information.
Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, during the 138th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa. on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024.AP Photo/Barry Reeger
But that hasn’t stopped the Punxsutawney community from making Groundhog Day a multiday celebration, with this year’s events includingGobbler’s Knob Got Talent, an open-judged talent show; an annualGroundhog Banquet, in which the Man and Woman of the Year for Punxsutawney are announced; aLunch with Phil. where fans of Phil gather and meet; and the very popularGroundhog Ballwhere guests dress in formal attire.
According to Pennsylvania’s tourism website, the event draws about 30,000 visitors annually to Punxsutawney (whosegeneral populationis about 5,700), while millions watch it on television or Internet streaming.
Groundhog Day has also been engrained in popular culture, most notably with the 1993 classic comedy film of the same name starring Bill Murray. On Friday,Chicago’s Harry Caray’s Tavernis holding a reunion of several cast members fromGroundhog Dayto honor the film’s late director, Harold Ramis, NBC affiliateWMAQreported.
source: people.com
