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 has been celebrated in the United States since at least February 2, 1886. Starting in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, with its now-famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, the tradition spread throughout America. It is now celebrated all over, and not just with groundhogs. Should be remaining on Candlemas Day. On Candlemas Day, The good goose begins to lay. When the wind’s in the east on Candlemas Day, There it will stick till the 2nd of May. On Candlemas Day, if the thorns hang a drop, You are sure of a good pea crop. More About Groundhogs! What exactly IS a groundhog? Also known as a woodchuck or whistlepig See how the groundhog became a symbol for predicting seasonal changes in America, rooted in German folklore with a badger — which in turn lead to Groundhog Day. 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 History of Groundhog Day. The Christian religious holiday of Candlemas Day has become most commonly associated with the current celebration, but it’s roots are older than that. The celebration started in Christianity as the day, (February 2nd), when Christians would take their candles to the church to have them blessed. 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 Groundhog Day By Numbers. 1841 – A storekeeper named James Morris wrote and marked the date February 2 as Candlemas Day. 40,000 – The number of people who attend the Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. 1886 – The year the first Groundhog Day was held in Punxsutawney. They began using groundhogs (also known as woodchucks) because they were local to the area. Punxsutawney Phil . In the 1880s, Clymer H. Freas, the editor of the Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper, had the idea to make Groundhog Day a formal holiday, and naming Punxsutawney Phil as the official weather-predicting groundhog. What is Groundhog Day and who is Punxsatawney Phil? Learn all about this holiday and see if spring will be early or if a long winter lies ahead! See a list of all 82 prognosticators, whether genuine groundhogs or otherwise. Despite the name, GROUNDHOG-DAY.com is all-welcoming. Groundhog Day 2025: Will Punxsutawney Phil, Buckeye Chuck see their shadows? What to know If you trust any animal to give you an extended weather forecast, then you want to pay attention to what Groundhog Gets A Say – This funny book looks at all the other things groundhogs can do outside of Groundhog’s Day! Easy Groundhog Day Crafts Groundhog Handprint Craft – This project turns kids’ hands into the grass around the groundhog’s burrow, making it a “hands-on” adventure! Video above: Rare albino groundhog spotted in the Susquehanna Valley.The Groundhog Day celebration at Gobbler's Knob started in 1887. Aside from a 10-year gap, records for each prognostication This year, NOAA took a deeper dive into Groundhog Day results and graded the work of 19 groundhogs and groundhog surrogates to determine the accuracy of their predictions. Spoiler: Phil came in About GROUNDHOG-DAY.com. GROUNDHOG-DAY.com is the leading data source for North America’s prognosticating groundhogs and their yearly predictions. GROUNDHOG-DAY.com provides past predictions for individual groundhogs, as well as aggregate yearly data comparing the number of ‘early spring’s to ‘longer winter’s. 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). In 2024, Phil predicted we would see an early spring. According to groundhog-day.com, nearly all the American groundhogs also predicted an early spring. How accurate is Punxsutawney Phil? While Groundhog Day marks the midpoint of winter, blending European folklore with modern fun as Americans turn to a groundhog’s shadow to predict the season’s outcome — either six more weeks of Home of Punxsutawney Phil in the Weather Capital of the World. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club invites to to celebrate Groundhog Day!
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