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Fun and Quirky Facts. Groundhog Day has its share of quirky and lesser-known facts. Here are some that might surprise you. Punxsutawney Phil is said to drink a special "elixir of life" every summer, which grants him seven more years of life. The Groundhog Day ceremony in Punxsutawney is conducted in Pennsylvania Dutch, a dialect of German. The heart rate of a groundhog during hibernation slows down from 80 beats per minute to just 5 beats per minute. Breathing slows from 16 breaths per minute to just 2! During hibernation, a groundhog’s body temperature drops from 99 degrees to 37 degrees. At a dead sprint, groundhogs reach a maximum speed of 8 mph. Each year groundhogs enjoy 15 minutes of fame—and then most people proceed to forget about them completely. Held every year on February 2, Groundhog Day is a unique U.S. celebration in which Groundhog Day weather predictions were added to this list, as captured in an article in The Miami Herald from February 2, 1943, where forecaster H. A Downes stated that ‘To broadcast that a groundhog does or doesn’t see his shadow might reveal sky conditions to the enemy. Annual Groundhog Day predictions will have to be skipped.’ 6. 13. Crowds of up to 40,000 people have attended the Groundhog Day celebration. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, home to under 6,000 residents, hosts the largest Groundhog Day celebration, attracting an average of 20,000 people annually. The 1993 movie ‘Groundhog Day’ significantly boosted attendance, with a record 40,000 attendees in 2020. (Mysteriously, there are 10 years where no records of Phil’s predictions exist at all.) To get in the spirit of Groundhog Day ahead of this year’s prediction—whether you want six more weeks of winter or not—here are 10 fun facts about the holiday. Adobe Stock / Manfredbohn Groundhog Fun Facts. 1. Groundhog Facts Also known as woodchucks, groundhogs belong to a group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. They grow up to 25 inches long and can live for 10 years in captivity. So, they chose it as the official animal and the day began to be known as Groundhog Day. 3. The first official Groundhog Day ceremony took place on February 2, 1887, at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. It is from that day the groundhog became popular as Punxsutawney Phil and became the official groundhog forecaster. Here are some Groundhog Day facts that may help answer those kid questions. Photo by Chris Flook. Here are some of our teacher team’s favorite fun Groundhog Day facts for kids: The most famous groundhog on Groundhog Day is Punxsutawney Phil, who lives in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Phil isn’t the first groundhog to celebrate the holiday As the myth of Groundhog Day goes, if a groundhog sees its shadow on February 2, winter will last another six weeks. And while Punxsutawney Phil’s handlers maintain 100 percent accuracy in his Phil and the town of Punxsutawney were portrayed in the 1993 film “Groundhog Day.” (It was really filmed in Woodstock, Ill.) Phil appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show in 1995. (He did not get a Originally, Groundhog Day was a Celtic festival marking the year’s first cross-quarter day, or a midpoint between seasons. Read more about the ancient Celtic calendar here. Celebrated at the beginning of February, the day was called Imbolc —a term from Old Irish that is most often translated as “in the belly”—a reference to the soon PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. -- Here's a look at Groundhog Day, an American tradition that is meant to predict when spring will arrive. Facts. The groundhog emerges from its burrow on February 2. If the Entertainment ‘Groundhog Day’ movie: 10 facts about the film that will leave you shocked | Groundhog Day 2025. Published: Jan. 27, 2025, 7:00 a.m. Groundhog Day Facts. The first Groundhog Day celebration took place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania’s Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog, has been predicting the weather since 1887. If a groundhog sees its shadow on Groundhog Day, legend says there will be six more weeks of winter. In some places, Groundhog Day is also known Entertainment; Groundhog Day 2025 facts: 7 things you need to know before the prediction. Published: Jan. 28, 2025, 7:31 a.m. 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. The Groundhog Day celebration at Gobbler's Knob started in 1887. Aside from a 10-year gap, records for each prognostication have been meticulously kept. Over the years, Phil has predicted six more 10. Did the Groundhog catch some fog the other day? No, he mist. 11. What did Obi-Wan say to Groundhog? If every day feels like Groundhog Day, maybe it’s time to paws and reflect! 12. Why is Punxsutawney Phil always cold? Because he has many fans. 13. When does a groundhog come before a woodchuck? In the dictionary. In the American tradition of Groundhog Day, the nation’s groundhog prognosticators take a stance on the season ahead. If the groundhog sees his shadow, he predicts six more weeks of winter.
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