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 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 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. 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. The day eventually evolved into what we know it today. In 1886, Groundhog Day was acknowledged for the first time in Punxsutawney by a local newspaper, Weathers Wags, according to the club. The club says Groundhog Day is the same today as when it first started — if the old-timey garb and scrolls are any sign — just with far more participants. He has a theory for why Groundhog life.The spectacle of Groundhog Day is the groundhog’s interaction with its shadow. According to legend, if the groundhog sees its shadow and retreats to its burrow, then there will be six more weeks of winter. On the other hand, if the day is cloudy and the groundhog doesn’t see its shadow, then an early spring is predicted. 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 But it wasn't until 1887 when the day was finally considered an official event, after a group travelled to Gobbler's Knob to consult the groundhog on the weather, where people have gathered ever 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 The club says Groundhog Day is the same today as when it first started — if the old-timey garb and scrolls are any sign — just with far more participants. That's thanks in large part to the popularity of the eponymous movie and the ability to live-stream the festivities. Today, Groundhog Day remains what it was when the tradition first came to our shores and found its way to Punxsutawney. A day to take everything a little less seriously, and break up the winter monotony at least for a little while! A Personal Perspective: In a time of climate anxiety, political unpredictability, and technological change, Groundhog Day isn't silly. It's grounding. The club says Groundhog Day is the same today as when it first started — if the old-timey garb and scrolls are any sign — just with far more participants. He has a theory for why Groundhog "Today" is almost certainly not due to the weather. Hot water would not be massively affected by the weather. Cold water inlet temperatures on average do vary by location, but the pipes are buried in the ground and won't change massively day by day. It is probably caused by the hotel being busy due to Groundhog Day draining all the water. Little did/do most kids today know that a woodchuck is a groundhog, or that in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 2, 1887, a groundhog came out of its hole at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney and 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.) A Groundhog is a small, furry animal that looks like a mixture of a squirrel and a badger. According to the tradition, each year one of the furry creatures can predict when spring will arrive. Celebrate Groundhog Day with this collection of funny jokes and corny puns that'll have kids, adults and the rest of the family wood-chuckling all day long. Celebrate Puxatawny Phil on Feb. 2 with Phil the groundhog predicts today whether winter will last six more weeks in the tradition of Groundhog Day, which attracts crowds of people to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. This annual event has become a metaphor for how cinema and popular culture have imbued meaning into this holiday.
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