Lake Zurich Middle School South

What is Groundhog Day?

Groundhog Day is held every February 2nd. On this day, a groundhog comes out of his burrow and pokes his head above ground. If he sees his shadow, he gets scared and hides back underground. When this happens, it is said that there are six more weeks of winter left. If the groundhog does not see his shadow, he will stay above ground. In this instance, spring is on its way.

History

This holiday is a mixture of many traditional European superstitions. It mostly comes from Candlemas. Candlemas came between the winter solstice (December 21 or 22) and spring equinox (March 20 or 21). This holiday was important, as it supposedly foretold the type of weather there would be through the end of March. It is summed up in the following poem:

The Germans took the tradition of Candlemas and decided that the weather could be decided by an intelligent animal like the hedgehog. If the sun appeared on that day, the hedgehog would see its shadow, take it as an omen of bad weather, and go back underground. This tradition spread throughout the northern Europe and Candlemas was a grand occasion in Germany. When the Germans landed in New England, they brought this holiday with them. In the new world, however, there weren't many hedgehogs to be found. Instead, there was an abundance of groundhogs (also called woodchucks). The Germans felt that the wise groundhog would come out on February 2nd of every year. If he saw his shadow, he would hurry underground for the "second winter." The tradition stuck. So, now we have Groundhog Day.

Punxsutwawney Phil

Every holiday has a mascot. Groundhog Day's mascot is Punxsutawney Phil of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. He is the "World's Weatherman" in animal form. It has been said that Phil has been alive for over a hundred years (not very likely for a groundhog, mind you). We have been getting our Groundhog Day forecast from him since 1887. He lives in Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney. Phil stands at a mere 21" tall and weighs 10-15 lbs. He is definitely the most famous groundhog around, but not the only forecaster. Dunkirk Dave, a groundhog in Dunkirk, New York, has been making predictions every February 2nd since 1966. Other semi-famous groundhogs can be found across the country, especially in the the Northeast.

Myth vs. Fact

Can we really trust this ancient theory of weather prediction? In the last 115 years, Phil has cast his shadow 92 times, not cast is 14, and not been recorded nine times. The people of Punxsutawney swear he has never been wrong. The the majority of America, on the other hand, doesn't believe his predictions are real. It is known to many that Phil's owners decide if he will see his shadow far in advance. Long ago, famers figured out that February 2nd is not near the end of winter, no matter how miserable it is.
In China, however, the seasons don't come at the same time as ours. As a matter of fact, their spring falls on February 3rd or 4th. Keeping this information in mind, could there be a international connection between spring and Groundhog Day?

Celebration

As you know, Groundhog Day is on February 2nd. While people don't get off of work or school, there are some ways to celebrate. Many people tune to their local news on the morning of the day and watch Phil's entrance out of the ground. He comes out somewhere between 7:30 and 8:00 A.M. Others trek to Pennsylvania and actually visit Gobbler's Knob themselves. Sometimes celebrities show up there, too. It doesn't really matter how you celebrate Groundhog Day, just do!

The pictures and graphics above come from:
Cooltext.com, Google Image Search, and Microsoft Gallery Design Live.

Page Sponsor: Mr. David Gardner - Principal
Page Author: Christine E.
Webmaster: Mr. A. Willer
Created: January 7, 2003