Groundhog Day is celebrated all over North America, but the main celebration takes place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. There is a groundhog in the area named Punxsutawney Phil, and it has become an official ceremony that takes place on February 2. 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 What is Groundhog Day? People flock to Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 2 every year to be a part of the celebrations revolving around Punxsutawney Phil's winter forecast. 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. 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-to February 2, 1886 - The Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper proclaims this date as Pennsylvania's first official Groundhog Day celebration. 1986 - Phil travels to Washington, DC to meet with President Groundhog Day is a holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada on February 2, each year. In weather lore, if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and fails to see its shadow because the weather is cloudy, winter will soon end. 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 "And the first celebration that we know of was in the 1880s," Harman says. Crowds as large as 30,000 have turned out to Punxsutawney for multi-day Groundhog Day festivities, which the state Why is Groundhog Day celebrated on Feb. 2? The origins of Groundhog Day date back to German settlers in the 1800s and the celebration of the Christian festival of Candlemas, held on Feb. 2. Groundhog Day is a popular tradition celebrated in the United States and Canada on February 2nd each year. It involves a groundhog predicting the weather for the next six weeks. It involves a groundhog predicting the weather for the next six weeks. “Groundhog Day has been celebrated in the United States since at least February 2, 1886,” the website reads. “Starting in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, with its now-famous groundhog Uncover the history of Groundhog Day and why a groundhog predicts if there was a clear sky when the holiday was celebrated, in journalism from Northwest Missouri State University, and has The Hummelstown Groundhog Day celebration in Dauphin County is a charming, small-town event that highlights community spirit and Pennsylvania’s beloved Groundhog Day tradition. Every year on 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 Groundhog Day Eve Dinner and Dance event will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday at Ace’s, 316 Chestnut St. in the Cambria City section of Johnstown. While Groundhog Day isn't a federal holiday in the United States, the traditional observance celebrates the triumph of spring over winter. Groundhog Day is celebrated every year on Feb. 2. This The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources announced that the West Virginia State Wildlife Center will host its 48th annual Groundhog Day Celebration Sunday, February 2. Members of the public are invited to attend the free event, which will start at 9:30 a.m. with an opening ceremony at the FRENCH CREEK, W.Va. — The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) announced today that the West Virginia State Wildlife Center will host its 48th annual Groundhog Day Celebration on Feb. 2. Members of the public are invited to attend the free event, which will start at 9:30 a.m. with an opening ceremony at the amphitheater.
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