Fun and Quirky Facts. Groundhog Day has its share of quirky and lesser-known facts. Here are some that might surprise you. Punxsutawney Phil is said to drink a special "elixir of life" every summer, which grants him seven more years of life. The Groundhog Day ceremony in Punxsutawney is conducted in Pennsylvania Dutch, a dialect of German. As the myth of Groundhog Day goes, if a groundhog sees its shadow on February 2, winter will last another six weeks. And while Punxsutawney Phil’s handlers maintain 100 percent accuracy in his 13. Crowds of up to 40,000 people have attended the Groundhog Day celebration. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, home to under 6,000 residents, hosts the largest Groundhog Day celebration, attracting an average of 20,000 people annually. The 1993 movie ‘Groundhog Day’ significantly boosted attendance, with a record 40,000 attendees in 2020. 12. The film ‘Groundhog Day’ popularized the celebration. Previously, few thousands of people would travel to Gobbler’s Knob to celebrate Groundhog Day. The release of the 1993 Columbia Pictures film, ‘Groundhog Day’ starring Bill Murray made the celebration of this tradition quite popular. The number of tourists that visited 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 3. The first modern Groundhog Day event was held in 1887. The earliest mention of a day concerning groundhogs in the United States dates back to 1840 in the diary of Pennsylvanian James L. Morris, Facts. The groundhog emerges from its burrow on February 2. If the groundhog sees its shadow when it emerges, there will be six more weeks of winter. ALSO SEE: The legend of the immortal 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. Hence, Groundhog Day! 6. Hibernation is similar to being in a coma. When groundhogs hibernate, their heart rates drop to five beats per minute and their body temperature decreases dramatically. 7. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club hosts a three-day celebration each year for Groundhog Day. 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. Nine fun facts about groundhogs. Every February 2, Americans celebrate Groundhog Day. On that day, Punxsutawney Phil, a Pennsylvania groundhog, predicts how many weeks of winter remain. Groundhogs (a.k.a. woodchucks or whistlepigs) are stout cat-sized rodents belonging to the group of large ground squirrels in the family Sciuridae. They have the nickname “whistlepig” because when alarmed, they use a high-pitched whistle to warn the colony. Groundhogs are one of the true hibernators, fattening up for a three-month sleep during the colder months. The heart rate of a groundhog during hibernation slows down from 80 beats per minute to just 5 beats per minute. Breathing slows from 16 breaths per minute to just 2! 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 The movie Groundhog Day made groundhog day much more famous. The movie Groundhog Day, filmed in Woodstock, Illinois, was made in 1993, made groundhog day more famous. The film is a comedy film for which Harold Ramis and Danny Rubin wrote the screenplay, and it stars Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, and Chris Elliott. Murray plays Phil Connors, a First things first: Groundhogs are lousy weather predictors. As the myth of Groundhog Day goes, if a groundhog sees its shadow on February 2, winter will last another six weeks. And while Entertainment ‘Groundhog Day’ movie: 10 facts about the film that will leave you shocked | Groundhog Day 2025. Published: Jan. 27, 2025, 7:00 a.m. That’s only 2% higher than the national average of 37%. Currently, the most accurate groundhog prognosticator lives in Yellowknife, California and has a 50% accuracy rate. 7. Groundhog Day was almost Badger Day instead. Groundhog Day originally evolved from Candlemas, a celebration of both literal and religious light. Each year groundhogs enjoy 15 minutes of fame—and then most people proceed to forget about them completely. Held every year on February 2, Groundhog Day is a unique U.S. celebration in which The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club hosts a three-day celebration each year for Groundhog Day. This event attracts thousands of visitors to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, eager to partake in the festivities and witness the famous weather prediction.
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