Groundhog Day (Pennsylvania German: In 2019, for the 133rd year of the tradition, the groundhog was summoned to come out at 7:25 am on February 2, 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 Groundhog day originally came from an old tradition called Candlemas Day that started in the United States in 1887 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. In 1993, the film Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray popularised the use of the term ‘groundhog day’ to mean something that is endlessly repeated.It also popularised the event itself: after the film came out, the crowd at Gobbler’s Knob grew from around 2,000 annual attendees to a staggering 40,000, which is nearly 8 times the population of Punxsutawney. 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. The surprising history of Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil's rise to fame goes back thousands of years. Some watched to see if bears would come out of their dens, while the English looked Most of us know the tradition: on February 2, our old friend the groundhog will emerge from hibernation, come out of his den, and predict whether winter will deliver more cold weather this year. If the groundhog sees his shadow, the story goes, cold weather will persist another few weeks. If not, warm weather is around the corner. If you like the folklore of holidays, you may be interested to The first Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. They come out of hibernation for good in March. In 1887, a newspaper editor belonging to a group of groundhog hunters "Groundhog Day is a reminder that even in the midst of the coldest, bleakest times, we can find joy and laughter in the simple things. It‘s a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit." – Dr. Lisa Thompson, psychologist. In many ways, the themes of the "Groundhog Day" movie mirror the enduring appeal of the tradition itself. “Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks Groundhog Day festivities will begin early on February 2. Punxsutawney Phil is expected to reveal his winter prediction around sunrise. The events of the day last throughout the afternoon 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. In 1993, the film Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray popularised the use of the term ‘groundhog day’ to mean something that is endlessly repeated.It also popularised the event itself: after the film came out, the crowd at Gobbler’s Knob grew from around 2,000 annual attendees to a staggering 40,000, which is nearly 8 times the population of Punxsutawney. Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, is coming up, and soon Punxsutawney Phil will tell us what to expect from the weeks to come. The holiday dates back hundreds of years, and has grown to be a widely When is Groundhog Day 2024? Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning. Groundhog Day is on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. The Pennsylvania Lottery's mascot is a groundhog named Gus, referred to in commercials as "the second most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania", in deference to Phil. [26] Because the Groundhog Club Inner Circle has trademarked the use of the name "Punxsutawney Phil", no commercial entity may use the name without the permission from the Inner He issued this proclamation on, appropriately enough, Groundhog Day, February 2nd. Punxsutawney Phil's fame began to spread, and newspapers from around the globe began to report Punxsutawney Phil's Groundhog Day predictions. Today, over 20,000 fans come to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on Groundhog Day. PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. – Sunday marks the day the U.S. turns to a groundhog to learn if winter will tighten its grip on the country or if spring will arrive soon. That’s right, it’s Groundhog Day. However, Phil’s winter prognostications have only been right about 39% of the time, according to Where does Groundhog Day come from? Alan Freed / Reuters. Unlike its celluloid counterpart, Groundhog Day is grounded in tradition, having been brought over to America by the Pennsylvania Dutch in FILE - Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, during the 136th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Feb
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