Grace McAlister
Reporter1@riverbendnews.org
Groundhog Day is the only holiday where people all over the United States and Canada come together to celebrate the prediction of a furry forecaster. Every Feb. 2 since 1887, a groundhog in Punxsutawney, Penn., has made his weather prediction based on the appearance of the sun. Either it’s sunny and he sees his shadow, which, in folklore, means six more weeks of winter or it’s cloudy and the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow, meaning an early spring. Punxsutawney Phil is North America’s most famous weather predictor; however, the seasonal traditions of this holiday go back a long way, long before Phil.
Groundhog Day has its roots in the ancient Christian tradition of Candlemas when clergy would bless and distribute candles to help keep warm in the winter. The following lyrics were sung at the event:
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If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go, winter, and come not again.
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German settlers in Pennsylvania continued the tradition, although they switched from candles to hedgehogs and then later to groundhogs, as they were plentiful in the state. In Punxsutawney, 1886 marked the first time that Groundhog Day appeared in the local newspaper. The following year brought the first official “Trek to Gobbler's Knob.” Each year since then, there has been a steady increase in participation of the celebration from people all over the U.S. and Canada.
In 1887, a newspaper editor belonging to a group of groundhog hunters called the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club declared that Phil was America’s only true weather-forecasting groundhog. The line of groundhogs that have since been known as Phil might be America’s most famous groundhogs, but other towns across North America now have their own weather-predicting rodents, from Birmingham Bill to Staten Island Chuck to Shubenacadie Sam in Canada.
Today, Groundhog Day revolves around a ceremony which is held at daybreak at a place in Punxsutawney called Gobbler’s Knob. Punxsutawney Phil is looked after throughout the year by a select group called the “Punxsutawney Groundhog Club Inner Circle,” that also plans the annual ceremony. Every Feb. 2, Phil is helped to the top of the stump and tells the president of the Inner Circle, in a language known as “groundhogese,” his verdict on what he has seen. The president of the Inner Circle, the only person allegedly able to understand groundhogese, then translates Phil’s message and the voice president reads the verdict out to the crowds and the thousands who watch the live broadcast on TV.
After learning about Groundhog Day and the lore behind it, you may find yourself wondering: how accurate is Phil? According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center, Phil’s forecasts have shown no predictive skill in recent years; he gets it right about 35 to 40 percent of the time. Although Phil may not be the most accurate forecaster, he remains loved by the masses, with over 40,000 people viewing the last in-person Groundhog Day ceremony in 2020.
This year, the Groundhog Day ceremony will be held in-person once again. Although you may not be attending the event in person, there are still many things you can do to celebrate. The most common way to celebrate the holiday is to tune in on the Groundhog Day livestream, which begins at 3 a.m. and can be found at https://www.visitpa.com/live-stream-phils-prediction. The livestream continues throughout the day and covers many of the Groundhog Day festivities.
Since the day is all about finding out how the next few weeks are going to feel, why not have a family-friendly competition to see who can predict the weather best? Do your research on previous weather patterns, what the experts are saying, and make your predictions on how much longer winter will last. Another idea to celebrate Groundhog Day is to read a book with your family about the day. There are many cute children’s books out there for days like Groundhog Day, and what a better way to spend time together than by reading a book? All of the following books can be downloaded instantly on the Amazon Kindle App: “Substitute Groundhog,” “Groundhog’s Day Off,” “Grumpy Groundhog” and “Groundhog Weather School.”
Groundhog Day isn’t the kind of holiday that calls for extravagant meals or family get-togethers, but it is the perfect excuse to have a little fun with food. You can bake and decorate cookies to look like a groundhog or make your favorite comfort food, in case we are in for more winter. Other activities you can do to celebrate include watching Bill Murray’s 1993 film “Groundhog Day” and making shadow puppets.
Whether or not you think Groundhog Day is hogwash, one thing is for certain: it gives many a reason to celebrate in the middle of winter. With cold temperatures, gray days and the holidays being long over, it seems like there is not much to look forward to until spring turns up. Groundhog Day and its bizarre rodent ritual is an excellent time to shake up the dismal season and allow families to come together and celebrate one of America’s strangest holidays.