He and Shubenacadie Sam are the two groundhogs that those in Atlantic Canada rely upon for their weather forecasts on February 2nd. Nova Scotia also has a unique native animal predicting the weather – a lobster. Lucy the Lobster is the mascot of the Nova Scotia Lobster Crawl Festival, which takes place in February. 2025: Groundhog Day in Nova There are 14 weather-predicting Canadian groundhogs who made predictions in 2024.. Use the Groundhog Map to locate your fave canuk prognosticator. There are 82 weather-forecasting prognosticators in Canada or the USA who made predictions in 2024 — including 46 ‘alternative’ groundhogs. Use the Groundhog Map to locate your fave prognosticator. 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 There are 81 prognosticators throughout North America: 67 in the USA, and 14 in Canada. Use the map to find your nearest Groundhog Day prognosticator (unless you’re from Saskatchewan — sorry bud). Groundhog Day is celebrated in Canada and the United States every year on 2 February. Legend has it that watching a groundhog emerge from its burrow can determine the weather forecast for the coming weeks. Every Feb. 2, people get up eager to discover whether a large rodent — a groundhog, specifically — has seen its shadow. You know how Groundhog Day works: if the groundhog sees its shadow, buckle down for six more weeks of winter. If not, get your T-shirts and sunglasses ready because spring is around the corner. A recap of Groundhog Day predictions, 2020-2023. Get to know Canada's most famous groundhogs. Why do groundhogs emerge on February 2 if it’s not to predict the weather? February 1, 2021 | by Adam Hunter. Tomorrow marks Groundhog Day, a North American tradition dating back to 1888. The groundhog, also called the woodchuck, is the largest member of the squirrel family and one of four marmot species that live in Canada. Uncover the history of Groundhog Day and why a groundhog predicts the end of Yet there, it is a badger that Groundhogs can be found in the central U.S. and areas east and north into Canada 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. 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. Groundhog Day is observed in the U.S. and Canada on Feb. 2 every year and falls on a Sunday in 2025. Why do we celebrate Groundhog Day? Groundhog Day is more than just a classic movie starring Dave’s handler, Bob Will, wrote on the site that, as a teacher and wildlife rehabilitator, he would always bring a groundhog into his classroom for Groundhog Day. The local newspaper nicknamed the woodchuck "Dunkirk Dave." Buckeye Chuck – Marion, Ohio. Buckeye Chuck was named Ohio’s official Groundhog Day prognosticator in 1979. There aren’t many groundhogs in Alaska, so then-Gov. Sarah Palin signed a bill last year officially designating February 2 as Marmot Day although he can’t foresee the weather. RELATED STORIES Groundhog Day is a popular tradition that takes place in North America, particularly in the United States and Canada. Every year, Groundhog Day is on February 2. Groundhog Day came from the Pennsylvania Dutch. The colonists believed that if a groundhog came out of its burrow and saw its shadow due to clear weather, it would retreat back into 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. 2. Beware of imitators. In Alaska, Groundhog Day has been replaced by Marmot Day. In 2009, former U.S. Governor Sarah Palin signed a bill proclaiming Feb. 2 as Marmot Day, an Alaskan holiday that Deeley declined to share how many groundhog Phil’s there have been, but the average groundhog living in captivity can live up to 10 years, according to the University of Michigan’s Museum of It is February 2, and that means today is the day a few select groundhogs in Canada will be consulted on the spring weather forecast. And it looks like not all of Canada's famous groundhogs are seeing eye-to-eye on the results for Groundhog Day 2023.
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