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 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 is on Sunday, Feb. 2. The celebrations revolving around Groundhog Day will go on for multiple days that week, Phil will make his prediction early in the morning. Looking back:Did the So how did the bizarre tradition of Groundhog Day get its start? We did a little investigating and got to the bottom of Groundhog Day’s history and evolution. Pagans would celebrate February On February 2, 1887, Groundhog Day, featuring a rodent meteorologist, is celebrated for the first time at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.According to tradition, if a groundhog 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. The beginning of February, which falls roughly halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox , has long been a significant time of the year in many 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. Groundhog Day has its roots in ancient midwinter ceremonies. How did the U.S. end up celebrating Groundhog Day in the first place? It dates back to ancient traditions — first pagan, then Christian — marking the halfway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox, says Troy Harman, a history professor at Penn State University who also works as a ranger at Gettysburg National T o the unfamiliar, Groundhog Day is perhaps one of America’s quirkiest traditions. Every Feb. 2, people wait for a large, furry rodent to see his shadow, and then predict the weather based on Groundhog Day festivities normally begin the day before on Feb. 1 every year — including a talent show, banquet and many other social events. “It brings a lot of people to the community,” Butch Philliber, a dignitary of the “Inner Circle,” said. “But you got to remember that we don’t have but about 70 beds in this town of 6500. Groundhog Day: How did this strange tradition start? Weather-predicting rodents have been a tradition in America since the 1800s. Find out a little more about the history and Georgia's own groundhog. How did Groundhog Day start? According to the Library of Congress , Groundhog Day traces its history back to an 1840 diary entry by an unnamed Welsh-American storekeeper in Pennsylvania. How did Groundhog Day begin? The first Groundhog Day was celebrated on Feb. 2, 1887, at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney. The holiday has roots in a few different religions, but it took a similar February 2 is Groundhog Day, where a rodent predicts the arrival or delay of spring based on his shadow's appearance. So how did such a unique tradition come How did Groundhog Day begin? The origins of Punxsutawney Phil. January 31, 2024 / 1:34 PM EST / AP "Groundhog Day." It's part of a tradition rooted in European agricultural life, marking the How did the U.S. end up celebrating Groundhog Day in the first place? He runs a long-term project that is about to begin its 62nd year of studying yellow-bellied marmots in Colorado, as a How did Groundhog Day begin? The first Groundhog Day was celebrated on Feb. 2, 1887, at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney. The holiday has roots in a few different religions, but it took a similar 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 Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, during the 136th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Wednesday How did Groundhog Day start? According to the club, the holiday began as a part of the Christian celebration of Candlemas Day in Europe, which was first observed in A.D. 350. To celebrate
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.