image: Punxsutawney Phil posted on flickr.com by Gamptw
by: Grayson Leverenz
Groundhog Day is not a huge holiday in the US. People don’t spend millions of dollars on gifts or get the day off work, but it is a dear tradition nonetheless.
Legend has it that every February 2, the groundhog wakes from hibernation and pokes his head out of his hole. If he sees his shadow, he runs back in his hole, predicting 6 more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, he stays above ground, predicting an early spring.
The most famous US groundhog is Punxsutawney Phil, “the only true weather forecasting groundhog.” He lives in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and has been predicting the weather for over 120 years as the highlight of a 4-day celebration. According to his website, Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions have been 100% accurate.
The main event takes place Monday, February 2 *UPDATED* at approximately 7:25am. Click here to stream it live, or you should be able to find coverage on most morning news shows. To get into the spirit of the holiday, watch the Bill Murray comedy, Groundhog Day. Netflix has it on demand for members; so you don’t have to wait for the video.
Click here to learn more about Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil.
Fingers crossed for an early spring!
*UPDATE* I am sad to report that on the morning of February 2, 2009 Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, and predicted six more weeks of winter. Maybe I’ll have to road trip to Florida for a while…
February 1st, 2010 at 3:23 pm
[...] Click here for more about Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil. Share This: [...]