Groundhog Day is a widely celebrated tradition in North America, particularly in the United States and Canada. Every year on February 2nd, people eagerly await the emergence of a groundhog from its burrow to predict the arrival of spring. However, this unique holiday is not limited to just these two countries. The US tradition of the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil emerging on 2 February to herald spring has fascinating origins – and creature parallels across Europe. The observance of Groundhog Day in the United States first occurred in German communities in Pennsylvania, according to known records. The earliest mention of Groundhog Day is an entry on February 2, 1840, in the diary of James L. Morris of Morgantown, in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, according to the book on the subject by Don Yoder. This was a Groundhog Day is not celebrated in Asia as it is traditionally an American and Canadian holiday. However, some countries in Asia do have similar celebrations that revolve around predicting the weather and the arrival of spring. Japan. In Japan, the Setsubun festival is celebrated on February 3rd, which is around the same time as Groundhog Day. In the 1880s some friends in Punxsutawney, Penn., went into the woods on Candlemas Day to look for groundhogs. This outing became a tradition, and a local newspaper editor nicknamed the seekers "the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club." Starting in 1887 the search became an official event centered on a groundhog called Punxsutawney Phil. The Groundhog Day ceremony in Punxsutawney is conducted in Pennsylvania Dutch, a dialect of German. Groundhog Day is also celebrated in other countries, such as Germany, where it is known as "Siebenschläfertag" or "Seven Sleepers Day." In Alaska, instead of a groundhog, they use a marmot to predict the weather on February 2nd. Other countries may have their own variations of weather-related folklore and traditions, but Groundhog Day, as it is known, is not widely celebrated beyond North America. 3. The first official Groundhog Day was in 1887 Happy Groundhog Day! Go to accessibility shortcuts. Share this article Comments. You might also like Culture news Now playing Next 840 encores: How a one-page Erik Satie piece makes a 20hr In modern times, we love Groundhog Day so much that it's observed in countless other cities across the continent including cities in Canada. Also, Phil isn't the only fuzzy Nostradamus with an What is Groundhog Day? People flock to Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 2 every year to be a part of the celebrations revolving around Punxsutawney Phil's winter forecast. And a number of countries have cultural traditions that if certain zoological or meteorological things happen on a certain day, that foretells the weather or the ending of the seasons, so it's not like groundhog day is too crazy. Groundhog Day is a popular tradition that takes place in North America, particularly in the United States and Canada. Every year, Groundhog Day is on February 2. Groundhog Day came from the Pennsylvania Dutch. The colonists believed that if a groundhog came out of its burrow and saw its shadow due to clear weather, it would retreat back into For the Pennsylvania Dutch, it became the dox which in Deitsch referred to “groundhog”. Do other countries have Groundhog Day? Groundhog Day (Pennsylvania German: Grund’sau dåk, Grundsaudaag, Grundsow Dawg, Murmeltiertag; Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a popular North American tradition observed in the United States and Canada on February 2. Yep. They used to eat that poor groundhog after he predicted the weather. In the early 19th century, Groundhog Day was celebrated with this culinary twist in the festivities. The Groundhog Picnic, as it was called, happened every Groundhog Day at the Punxsutawney Elk Lodge in Pennsylvania. Locals would come to the lodge for lunch and reveled in In other words, the Groundhog Day tradition may have begun as a bit of folk humor. Famous prognosticators and predictions. Towns throughout North America are known to have winter-predicting groundhogs. The most famous is Punxsutawney Phil of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania (immortalized in the movie Groundhog Day). The Brief. Woodstock, Illinois, became the filming location for "Groundhog Day" (1993), and the town now celebrates the movie with an annual festival that attracts visitors from around the world. (Lander, WY) – Wyoming’s most famous animal weather predictor, Lander Lil, just got a little more famous (and some bonafide credentials!), after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released their top three picks for the most accurate “groundhog” in the country for Groundhog Day predictions. “In honor of Groundhog Day and in the spirit [] Is Groundhog Day celebrated in other countries? Groundhog Day 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. What are the 2 countries that celebrate groundhog’s Day? Groundhog Day Crafts For Kids | Fun ideas for preschoolers, kindergarten & elemetnary. Some have free printable PDF templates. Puppets, paper plate, handprint.
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