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 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 Sand Mountain Sam: People in Alabama celebrate Groundhog Day by referring to Sand Mountain Sam, who just happens to be an opossum. Jimmy the Groundhog: Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, has been calling itself “The Groundhog Capital of the World” since 1948, when it was a way to commemorate Wisconsin’s centennial year. 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. The beginning of February, which falls roughly halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox , has long been a significant time of the year in many Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil is the most well-known, but more than a dozen states celebrate with their own groundhogs, such as Georgia's General Beauregard Lee and Buckeye Chuck in Ohio 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. 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. 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. Punxsutawney held its first Groundhog Day in the United States in the 1800s. The first official trek to Gobbler's Knob was made on February 2, 1887. It is said that Punxsutawney Phil (the groundhog) was named after King Phillip. Question: In addition to Punxsutawney, which other cities in the United States celebrate Groundhog Day? Answer: Staten Island, New York, and Atlanta, Georgia, are known for their own groundhog festivities. Question: What are the various names for the groundhog in different regions of the United States? How can I celebrate 2025 Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney? While there are a handful of local celebrations of the holiday, the most well-known Groundhog Day event takes place on Feb. 2 in Punxsutawney. The Groundhog Day celebration is organized by the “ Inner Circle ” of the town’s “Groundhog Club.” These tuxedoed men in top hats conduct Dozens of groundhog lodges across the state celebrate Groundhog Day with food, games, speech, and songs. Look for a lodge closest to you, and join in on their celebrations. Because groundhog lodges seek to preserve the dying Pennsylvania German dialect, speeches will often be given in this language. [6] PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (KTAL/KMSS) – Groundhog Day is on Feb. 1, but the yearly tradition of watching a groundhog one day a year is about much more than predicting the timeliness of spring midget38 - I'm thinking it's time to rent Groundhog Day again as Feb. 2nd is rolling around again. Glad you enjoyed the hub, and thanks so much for sharing! Michelle Liew from Singapore on January 19, 2013: I loved the facts and the dirt pie recipe! Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray was a great, funny film. General Beauregard Lee no longer resides, but Groundhog Day is still a big deal in Gwinnett County. After all, the Gwinnett Stripers have the only groundhog mascot in professional sports. E very year on February 2, crowds gather at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to watch a groundhog emerge for the day—just like in the classic Bill Murray film Groundhog Day.You 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 3 of 15 | . FILE - The groundhog saw his shadow, Feb. 2, 1954, as the sun peeked through an overcast sky at Washington Park Zoo in Milwaukee, Wis. The arrival of annual Groundhog Day celebrations Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, will draw thousands of people to see celebrity woodchuck Phil at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa. — an event that exploded in popularity after the 1993 Bill Murray movie. Every year on February 2, crowds gather at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to watch a groundhog emerge for the day—just like in the classic Bill Murray film Groundhog Day. You
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