Groundhog's Day

Photo by Ken Christison

February 2 is Groundhog's Day, and it came to this country via immigrants from Great Britain and Germany. These European countries had beliefs about the hedgehog (some reports also name other European animals), but there were no hedgehogs in America.  Therefore the legends and superstitions were transferred to the groundhog. For example, in Germany, farmers planted their crops in the spring according to the hedgehog and its shadow.

February 2nd is actually a "cross-quarter" day, meaning it is about halfway between the winter solstice in December and the vernal equinox to begin spring in March. Some cultures celebrate this time as the mid point of winter. Americans like to celebrate it as Groundhog's Day and base the coming weather on the groundhog's shadow. If the groundhog comes out and sees its shadow, there's supposed to be 6 more weeks of cold weather. If it doesn't, then warmer weather should be on its way.

Punxsutawney Phil

One of the most famous groundhogs to help make weather predictions is Punxsutawney Phil in northeastern Pennsylvania. This long line of groundhogs has been helping celebrate Groundhog's Day since 1886. Groundhog enthusiasts vow that groundhogs, like Punxsutawney Phil, are better at forecasting the weather than almanacs or the National Weather Service.

Groundhog's Day Celebration 2005

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