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 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. In modern times, the year’s four cross-quarter days are Groundhog Day (February 2), May Day (May 1), Lammas (August 1) and – the most sinister cross-quarter day because it comes at a dark time Groundhog Day, celebrated every year on February 2, is an unusual holiday that stretches back hundreds of years back to European traditions and even ancient times. How is Groundhog Day Celebrated? Groundhog Day is famously connected to weather prediction, with the most prominent tradition involving a groundhog predicting the conclusion of 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. When is Groundhog Day? 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. 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 a tradition that has taken place annually in the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania since Feb. 2, 1987. A groundhog, also known as a woodchuck, is brought out at sunrise to make a prediction on how the remaining winter will play out. 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 “Every February 2, a crowd of thousands gathers at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to await a special forecast from a groundhog named Phil. If the 20-pound groundhog emerges and sees his shadow, the United States can expect six more weeks of winter weather according to legend. PUNXSUTAWNEY, Penn. - Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is the Mecca for those around the country celebrating Groundhog Day. Every year, on Feb. 2, tens of thousands of people flock to this small town of less than 6,000 people some 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, to see whether the town's rodent meteorologist in-residence will predict an early And what does February 2nd have to do with it? But Groundhog Day actually has deep roots in a much older Christian tradition. Furthermore, the day that we celebrate Groundhog's Day has some real meteorological significance, designating the halfway point between two important markers in the changing of the seasons (via EarthSky.) From Phil’s top-hatted Inner Circle of handlers to the tens of thousands of attendees who will brave the winter chill, Groundhog Day 2025 promises to be a moment of collective excitement and anticipation. From royal weddings to space launches, few events bring the world together like Groundhog Day! WHEN: Sunday, February 2, 2025; 6:00 AM. WHERE: Phil can't even die without having the clock reset the next day to February 2, Groundhog Day. Nearly 30 years after its release, Groundhog Day has solidified itself as a cinematic classic. When is Groundhog Day? Groundhog Day is Feb. 2. This year it will be on a Sunday. Feb. 2 is also known as St. Brigid's Day, mixing figures from pagan traditions and Christian beliefs. From Phil’s top-hatted Inner Circle of handlers to the tens of thousands of attendees who will brave the winter chill, Groundhog Day 2025 promises to be a moment of collective excitement and anticipation. From royal weddings to space launches, few events bring the world together like Groundhog Day! WHEN: Sunday, February 2, 2025; 6:00 AM. WHERE: Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil during the 138th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger) Candlemas Day, is widely known to bring thousands of people together to celebrate a weather prediction. Groundhog Day: February 2. January 31, 2022. Share Groundhog Day is a tradition observed regionally in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year.
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