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. 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. Punxsutawney Phil's handlers pick perfect weather-themed names for groundhog's babies Groundhog Day Jan 31, 2024 Punxsutawney Phil doesn't see shadow on Groundhog Day, meaning early spring But, before they made the trek to America, they checked to see if a hedgehog saw its shadow, not a groundhog. Due to a lack of hedgehogs, the settlers began using another hibernating mammal: The 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 groundhog is known as Punxsutawney Phil, because the town where the Groundhog Day tradition originated is called Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. A big celebration is still held in the town to this 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 When German immigrants settled Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries, they brought the custom with them, choosing the native groundhog as the annual forecaster. First Groundhog Day This Day After fattening up in the warmer seasons, groundhogs spend nearly three months – or 150 days – hibernating without eating a single thing. But their generous food stores mean the animals are 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 Knob will be open February 1, the day BEFORE Groundhog Day, until 4:00pm. The Knob closes to vehicular and pedestrian traffic for site and festivity preparation. The Knob opens back up to vehicular traffic on February 2 nd around 10 am, after all buses have transported visitors off the Knob. Thousands gather at Gobbler's Knob to see Punxsutawney Phil's announcement that he sees his shadow and that there will be 6 more weeks of winter Feb. 2, 2017. The Pennsylvania Lottery's mascot is a groundhog named Gus, referred to in commercials as "the second most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania", in deference to Phil. [26] Because the Groundhog Club Inner Circle has trademarked the use of the name "Punxsutawney Phil", no commercial entity may use the name without the permission from the Inner Groundhog Day should be on everyone’s bucket list. Groundhog Day is held at Gobbler’s Knob, a field a little under two miles outside of downtown Punxsutawney, PA. The gates to the grounds open at 3am. No tickets are required as Groundhog Day is a free event. From 3am until approximately 7:20am, a party happens at Gobbler’s Knob. The origin of Groundhog Day in Milltown, New Jersey, traces to a promise a guy named Jerry Guthlein made to his sick wife in the mid-1990s. and they don’t cancel Groundhog Day,” he said 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. Whether the groundhog sees its shadow on February 2 has more to do with the weather that day, than the groundhog itself. After all, Punxsutawney Phil has only been right about 30% of the time But it does tell you a little bit about people’s interest in Groundhog Day and groundhogs. Not surprisingly, that interest tends to spike each year around Feb. 2. Pennsylvania tends to have the Groundhog Day is such a clever, wonderful ride that you don't notice the joins. It's rare for a comedy to be funny and profound but also popular. Groundhog Day is living proof that it's possible to create intelligent comedy that still has a broad appeal. But how much do you really know about groundhogs? Also called woodchucks and whistle pigs, groundhogs are a species of marmot and a kind of rodent. They’re called whistle pigs because they let out a shrill whistle when they sense danger. Groundhogs are 42-68 cm (16-27 in.) long and weigh anywhere between 2-6 kg (4-14 lb.).
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