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 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. Crowds as large as 30,000 have turned out to Punxsutawney for multi-day Groundhog Day festivities, which the state calls a significant tourism boost for the town of fewer than 6,000 people. The ceremony itself — which returned to the stage in 2022 after a COVID-19 hiatus — features dancers, music, speeches and visitors from around the world. Groundhog Day, celebrated every year on February 2, is an unusual holiday that stretches back hundreds of years back to European traditions and even ancient times. How is Groundhog Day Celebrated? Groundhog Day is famously connected to weather prediction, with the most prominent tradition involving a groundhog predicting the conclusion of The first official Groundhog Day took place on February 2, 1887, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The event took up permanent residence at Gobbler’s Knob the following year. The first official Groundhog Day celebration took place on February 2, 1887, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The annual ritual has roots in pre-Christian traditions and was brought to the U.S. by When is Groundhog Day 2024? Groundhog Day will take place Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. Thousands will show up in person, with the grounds to Gobblers Knob opening at 3 a.m., and millions will tune in to see if Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow on Feb. 2 each year. More:Where to watch Bill Murray's 1993 classic movie 'Groundhog Day' for Groundhog Day Many people gearing up for Groundhog Day, when eyes are on Punxsutawney Phil to learn if six more weeks of winter or an early spring is on the horizon. While Groundhog Day is Feb. 2, celebrations How Groundhog Day came to the U.S. — and why we still celebrate it 138 years later. Still, he says there's a lot humans can learn from groundhogs' behavior. He runs a long-term project that Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, is coming up, and soon Punxsutawney Phil will tell us what to expect from the weeks to come. The holiday dates back hundreds of years, and has grown to be a widely How Groundhog Day came to the U.S. — and why we still celebrate it 138 years later By Rachel Treisman Published February 2, 2023 at 2:11 AM PST Groundhog Day, in the United States and Canada, day (February 2) on which the emergence of the groundhog from its burrow is said to foretell the weather for the following six weeks. In the United States the most popular event occurs in Pennsylvania and centers on a groundhog designated Punxsutawney Phil. Even though Phil Connors’ life resets every February 2 at 6:00 a.m., the movie also shows that for each Groundhog Day he experiences, the world still continues on for everyone else. And that calls into question much deeper issues than most movies—let alone comedies—ever ask about identity, parallel universes, infinite timelines And what does February 2nd have to do with it? But Groundhog Day actually has deep roots in a much older Christian tradition. Furthermore, the day that we celebrate Groundhog's Day has some real meteorological significance, designating the halfway point between two important markers in the changing of the seasons (via EarthSky.) In honor of Groundhog Day, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the 1993 comedy that still makes me laugh every time I see it. I always thought that if Bill Murray had to get stuck reliving the same day over and over again, at least he was staying in a charming house like the Cherry Street Inn, right? As a child, I liked Groundhog Day just like anyone else does, which was: it was fun but I didn’t really get it. It was interesting to see the fuzzy groundhog and hear the forecast, but I didn’t really understand the logic around the groundhog and the shadow, or how groundhogs got roped into this at all. Why does Groundhog Day exist? Updated 7:30 AM EST, Wed February 2, 2022 Video Ad Feedback. Why does Groundhog Day exist? Link Copied! In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, every February 2 people gather PETA has come up with a lot of crazy suggestions to address problems that don’t exist, all in the name of protecting animals. We’re not even a full month into 2025, and they are still going strong. Everyone knows about Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog who lives in a town in Pennsylvania of the same name. Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring on Groundhog Day. Phil's prediction of an early spring was his first since 2020 and the 21st time on record. Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow 107 times, not seen it 20 times since 1887. Updated February 2, 2024 at 8:19 AM ET. On Friday morning, thousands of early risers either tuned in or bundled up to watch Punxsutawney Phil emerge from a tree stump and predict the weather.
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