It is a time when people gather to observe a groundhog come out of its burrow to look for its shadow. Ten years later, the population had swelled to just above 250 people. Tradition says that North America will get six more weeks of winter if Phil sees his shadow and an early spring if he does not. The groundhog prediction is often wrong. Groundhog Day has its roots in the ancient Christian tradition of Candlemas, when clergy would bless and distribute candles needed for winter. Statistics say not so much: Phil's accuracy rate is about 40% over the last decade. Rory Szwed, left, and Kent Rowan watch the festivities while waiting for Punxsutawney Phil to make his prediction at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., early Thursday morning. On this day the behavior of a groundhog (or woodchuck) is said to predict the weather for the next six weeks. Bethel 01/31/21 Service The groundhogs name is Punxsutawney Phil (pronounced like fill with an extra L added). if it . The bizarre history of Groundhog Day | CNN Magazines, Digital If the weather is cloudy on Candlemas Day, warmer days lie ahead. The ceremony itself which returned to the stage last year after a COVID-19 hiatus features dancers, music, speeches and visitors from around the world. Early February has been treated in many other cultures as a time of birth and purity as well. The religious holiday of Candlemas also falls on February 2. THE HILL 1625 K STREET, NW SUITE 900 WASHINGTON DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 TEL | 202-628-8503 FAX. Updates? A crowd of upwards of 20,000 people spent a night of revelry awaiting the sunrise and the groundhog's exit from his winter den. Philliber, who goes by the nickname Iceman, explained that people come from all over the place, including an estimated 26-30 countries and 46 states. "There's the instincts and the intuition and the imagination that every human being has that has to come into balance with logic and reason.". Cortney Moore is an associate lifestyle writer on the Lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. "Groundhog Day is really a holiday about sex," he adds. While this is a folklore many have heard since they were a kid, many arent familiar with how Groundhog Day became such a favored tradition. In the United States and Canada, Groundhog Day is a popular tradition celebrated every year on February 2. Germany Candlemas is a primarily Catholic festival but also known in the German Protestant ( Lutheran) churches. If not, early spring and warmer temperatures are expected. He runs a long-term project that is about to begin its 62nd year of studying yellow-bellied marmots in Colorado, as a window into longevity and how flexible animals are in responding to a warming climate. Groundhogs Day is a celebration filled with so much history, fun, and folklore. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. The groundhog arguably the most famous member of his species and the most recognizable of all the country's animal prognosticators did what he has done for the last 137 years: search for a sign of spring in front of a group of top hat-wearing handlers and adoring fans at Gobbler's Knob in Pennsylvania. How Groundhog Day came to the U.S. and why we still celebrate - TPR Donning top hats and tuxedos, the group waits . Will My Beloved State of Nevada Display Wisdom or Ignorance in November 2024? Although promoters of the local festival surrounding Punxsutawney Phil claim that the animals have never been wrong, an examination of the records indicates a correlation of less than 40 percent. Unfortunately, on this blustery winter morning, he didn't find it. How Immigration Helped the United States Get Its First Subway System, What America's Richest Ski Town's Handling of COVID-19 Shows, 2023 TIME USA, LLC. A preserved diary entry from Morgantown storekeeper James Morris is one of the earliest recordings of groundhog weather predictors. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images). Stay up to date with our daily newsletter, The Race To Link Our Brains To Computers Is Hotting Up, Warmer Seas Grow Hardships For US Commercial Fishing Industry, The Great Resignation Of Engagement: 5 Lessons We Can Learn From 'The Boss', 'The Ocean Saved My Life': How One Hawaii Survivor Escaped The Flames, Trump Indicted For Racketeering Over 2020 Election Interference, Why Insurers Are Reducing Coverage In Florida, California, Ethiopia Unveils Joint Saudi Probe Into Alleged Migrant Killings, US Home Sales Cool As Mortgage Rates Remain High, Join The Club: BRICS Faces Rift Over Push For New Members, Trump Surrender To Overshadow Republican Debate, Meta Fights Back Over Behavioural Marketing Ban In Norway, Unlock the full content of International Business Times UK for free, Easily manage your Newsletters subscriptions and save your favourite articles. Observers declared Phil did not see its shadow. Groundhog Day 2023: Six more weeks of winter, How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood, The original draft of Groundhog Day had a shocking twist ending, Rutgers will still require COVID-19 vaccine, masks, Taco Bell, other food chains could move to digital-only sales: CFO, Salmonella outbreak affecting 11 states linked to pet turtles: CDC, Paved paradise: Maps show how much of US cities are parking lots, One-third of Americans are tattooed, study finds. Phil has predicted an early spring only 20 times and there is no record for 10 years. (One could say it's almost like the 1993 comedy "Groundhog Day" or even exactly like that.). Here is everything you need to know about how Groundhog Day got its start. So there also could be evolutionary responses to this, and what we're really looking at is the evolutionary response to changes over time and the sort of within-generational plasticity, flexibility, if you will.". How the Groundhog Day tradition began, events through history All Rights Reserved. Canada also celebrates Groundhog Day. Dating back to the mid-19th century, it's celebrated every year on February 2 and involves a large furry. If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow he regards it as an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his den. Groundhog Day: A popular North American tradition explained . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 | We Support Phalanx Family Services & St Agatha Catholic Church, Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Powered by Frackle Media, The Odd History That Makes Up Groundhog Day. Get ready for Groundhog Day! - MSN Thousands travel to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, every year to see the groundhog, now named Punxsutawney Phil make his weather prediction. Club members work "to protect and perpetuate the legend of the great weather-predicting groundhog Punxsutawney Phil," according to The Punxsutawney Groundhog Clubs website. Fear Foments Whitewashing Black American History, The Right-Wing has a Single Fear, the Truth, and Heres Why, Seapointe College Disrupts the Norms of Education. Groundhog Day: A Long Tradition - America Comes Alive What is a tradition on a Groundhog Day? - Remodel or Move But that alone doesn't make them reliable forecasters. The U.S. National Centers for Environmental Information says that the furry rodent has often been wrong with its predictions. How did the U.S. end up celebrating Groundhog Day in the first place? HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. So he's able to confirm that while Groundhog Day is pegged to Candlemas, it also coincides with the time of year when groundhogs in the northeastern U.S. start to emerge. Changing the day will navigate the page to that given day in history. He has a theory for why Groundhog Day became, and remains, so popular in the U.S. "Throughout history, whenever there has been a real strong emphasis on science, its counterpart of intuition, instinct, emotion, imagination the right side of our brain pushes back a little bit," Harman says, explaining that Groundhog Day took off right around the time of the industrial revolution. Introduction. Groundhog Day is celebrated in the United States and Canada on Feb. 2 every year. Every Feb. 2, people wait for a large, furry rodent to see his shadow and then we predict the weather based on the animals actions. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Among the Celts, for example, it was the time of Imbolc, observed in anticipation of the birth of farm animals and the planting of crops, and February 2 is also the date of the Christian festival of Candlemas, also called the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin. Groundhog Day, in the United States and Canada, day (February 2) on which the emergence of the groundhog ( woodchuck) from its burrow is said to foretell the weather for the following six weeks. If the day was sunny and the animal saw its shadow, six more weeks of winter weather remained. The first Gobbler's Knob ceremony took place the next year, and the rest is history. These animals included badgers, hedgehogs, bears and foxes. "There's the instincts and the intuition and the imagination that every human being has that has to come into balance with logic and reason.". The Associated Press won two awards for its Ukraine coverage, including the prestigious Public Service award. / AP. The history of Groundhog Day and how the superstitious tradition made By continuing to use this site, you consent to the terms of our cookie policy, which can be found in our. "Any place that has a groundhog these days is trying to get some [cred] by it," Blumstein says. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Updated February 2, 2023 at 7:32 AM ET On Thursday morning, thousands of early risers either tuned in or bundled up to watch Punxsutawney Phil emerge from a tree stump and predict the weather. "Groundhog Day is really a holiday about sex," he adds. Write to Abigail Abrams at abigail.abrams@time.com. The German tradition of Badger Day (Dachstag) is based on the belief that badgers see their shadows while coming out of hibernation on Feb. 2, predicting that winter will last longer. READ MORE: Groundhog Day History and Facts. A new, third level of content, designed specially to meet the advanced needs of the sophisticated scholar. Groundhog Day: A 137-Year-Old American Tradition While thousands of people still attend the ceremony in Pennsylvania, the event is also live-streamed for those who wish to know the forecast but are unable to travel. And then theres Imbolc, which is Celtic and symbolizes the day halfway between the winter solstice (Yule) and spring equinox (Ostara.) His handwritten note, which is held by the Historical Society of Berks County in Reading, Pennsylvania, dates back to Feb. 4, 1841. Groundhog Day - Wikipedia "Whether or not there is a predictability of whether it's sunny on Groundhog Day and whether spring comes early or later, I don't know," Blumstein says, adding that Phil's predictions involve "him whispering into people who are wearing stovepipe hats and in front of a drunk crowd, so you can't really trust that.". Groundhogs are rodents, and they live in burrows. There is some scientific basis for the Candlemas lore, according to Blumstein. What Groundhog Day is like today. But the winter holiday has a long history rooted in everything from early Christian traditions in Europe to 19th century American newspapers. The holiday stems from a Pennsylvania Dutch superstition. Copyright IBTimes 2023. Why, then, do we continue looking to creatures for answers on Feb. 2, year after year after year? "And what we're finding is there's sort of an optimal period that you should be active. The German tradition of Badger Day (Dachstag) is based on the belief that badgers see their shadows while coming out of hibernation on Feb. 2, predicting that winter will last longer. 'Fox & Friends' watches as Punxsutawney Phil makes his Groundhog Day appearance from Pennsylvania. Copyright 2023 NPR. On this day, according to tradition, people watch the behavior of a groundhog (also called a woodchuck) to find out what the weather will be like for the next six weeks. He thinks over time there will be "some happy ground" and that may already be the case in Punxsutawney. Copyright 2023 IBTimes LLC. BARCELONA, Spain (AP) Spains acting prime minister said it was unacceptable that the Spanish soccer federation president kissed a player on the lips without her consent, as pressure builds on Luis Rubiales to resign for tarnishing the teams Womens World Cup championship. The "Punxsutawney Groundhog Club" was founded in 1886 by a group of groundhog hunters, one of whom was the editor of the town's newspaper and quickly published a proclamation about its local weather prognosticating groundhog (though Phil didn't get his name until 1961). They eat vegetables and fruits, whistle when theyre frightened or looking for a mate (theyre sometimes called whistle pigs) and can climb trees and swim. The legend states, For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club said. According to traditions, a groundhog, a furry rodent, predicts the weather conditions in . The first official ceremony was held in 1886 by a group known as The Inner Circle. This group was made up of members from Punxsutawneys local fire department, who would later become responsible for organizing future celebrations. Many of Pennsylvanias early settlers were German, and they brought this tradition with them, switching the hedgehog for the groundhog, which could be more easily found in their new home, according to the Punxsutawney site. It dates back to ancient traditions first pagan, then Christian marking the halfway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox, says Troy Harman, a history professor at Penn State University who also works as a ranger at Gettysburg National Military Park. To share with more than one person, separate addresses with a comma. "That many nationalities being together all in one place to remember something from the medieval past and from a premodern period, and to bring in the music and to bring in the foods and the culture it's a real uplifting event," Harman says. A year ago, Monahan unveiled a bold new model for the PGA Tour aimed at fending off the Saudi-funded LIV Golf League. Candlemas Day is a Christian holiday celebrated on February 2. "Even though he's been forecasting since 1887, Phil's track record for the entire country isn't perfect," the NCEI website says. It brings a lot of people to the community, Butch Philliber, a dignitary of the Inner Circle, said. Groundhog Day: An Age-Old Tradition Rooted in Fun and Folklore The main forecast is given by a groundhog named Phil, who emerges every year at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Annual Groundhog Banquet. Groundhog Day is a popular tradition in the United States, but not one thats commonly known about. On Tuesday (February 2), the United States and Canada marked Groundhog Day, an annual tradition in which a groundhog predicts whether winter will continue or give way to spring soon. Both have something to do with the weather. In this article, we will delve deeper into the enigma of Groundhog Day and see if we can unveil the mystery behind it. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger). The groundhogs tail has been short ever since. This Puerto Rican software company is using satellite data to save Is this 3D-printed robotic arm the future of prosthetics? So there also could be evolutionary responses to this, and what we're really looking at is the evolutionary response to changes over time and the sort of within-generational plasticity, flexibility, if you will.". While the quirky day got its start in the late 19th century, historians believe Groundhog Day stems from Candlemas, a Christian holiday that dates back to the fourth century. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. It is believed that if. And when you really stop to think about it, those days were not so very long ago. On February 2, 1887, Groundhog Day, featuring a rodent meteorologist, is celebrated for the first time at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. "But the idea of watching animals and whether they see their shadow out of hibernation had been going on before that, it just hadn't turned into a public festival until later in the 19th century.". Why don't pickle jars say 'pickles' on them? But that alone doesn't make them reliable forecasters. "I strongly suspect that the people that go to Gobbler's Knob are fully aware of the power of science, but at the same time want to hold on to traditions and a deeper vibe," he says. It dates back to ancient traditions first pagan, then Christian marking the halfway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox, says Troy Harman, a history professor at Penn State University who also works as a ranger at Gettysburg National Military Park. Why, then, do we continue looking to creatures for answers on Feb. 2, year after year after year? Groundhod Day: A history of the popular tradition - NewsNation Its a day to celebrate the Virgin Mary, and it got its name from an ancient tradition of blessing candles and lighting them in churches on that day. To the unfamiliar, Groundhog Day is perhaps one of Americas weirdest traditions. If a hedgehog saw its shadow, there would be a "second winter" or six more weeks of bad weather, according to German lore. Inner Circle's Groundhog Ball Articles with the HISTORY.com Editors byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, Matt Mullen and Christian Zapata. Some people thought that those animals could be used to predict the weather. "So I sort of see the ability to, if you're fortunate enough to have a groundhog living in your backyard, to sort of pay attention to it and enjoy it and learn from it and maybe give up some of your tomatoes or apples. On Thursday, Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. He has a theory for why Groundhog Day became, and remains, so popular in the U.S. "Throughout history, whenever there has been a real strong emphasis on science, its counterpart of intuition, instinct, emotion, imagination the right side of our brain pushes back a little bit," Harman says, explaining that Groundhog Day took off right around the time of the industrial revolution. What Happened On Groundhog Day 2022 - WhatTube Heres how much longer winter will last according to the legend, Images Courtesy of Anthony Quintanos Flickr Page Creative Commons License, Your email address will not be published. Groundhogs are dangerous when provoked; they have sharp teeth that can bite through flesh with ease. But none are as elaborate as the one that takes place at Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania every Feb. 2. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. From the Middle Ages it was believed that animals such as bears and badgers came out of hibernation on this day. On Thursday morning, thousands of early risers either tuned in or bundled up to watch Punxsutawney Phil emerge from a tree stump and predict the weather. The furthest country he has met people from was Australia. In what has become a media event, a groundhog designated Punxsutawney Phil is the centre of attention of television weathermen and newspaper photographers. Groundhog Day is a popular tradition in the United States and Canada. While the Groundhog Day ceremony has grown in popularity, it wasnt always so. It is said that Punxsutawney Phil (the groundhog) was named after King Phillip. Eventually, they added another touch: making sure Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow before he could emerge from his burrow. Unfortunately, on this blustery winter morning, he didn't find it. He says those massive societal and technological changes spurred a desire to return to what people imagined were simpler times, in the form of things like literary romanticism and gothic revival architecture. The Germans then expanded on this tradition, introducing the hedgehog to the mix. What Happened in 1887 This event became an American tradition in 1887 when a group of groundhog hunters, calling themselves the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, determined that there was one particular groundhog in Punxsutawney who was particularly skilled at predicting the weather. The Inner Circle president is supposedly able to communicate with Phil by speaking Groundhogese, and will read the scroll which Phil chooses during the ceremony. HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE FACTS ABOUT THIS UNIQUE DAY? Germans expanded on this concept by selecting an animalthe hedgehogas a means of predicting weather. According to Wikipedia: Groundhog Day is a popular North American tradition observed in the United States and Canada on Feb 2. CNN: The bizarre history of Groundhog Day America is changing fast! "I strongly suspect that the people that go to Gobbler's Knob are fully aware of the power of science, but at the same time want to hold on to traditions and a deeper vibe," he says. Since then, the tradition has grown in popularity with many other cities across the country hold their own Groundhog Day celebrations. When German settlers migrates to the states, they brought their traditions and folklore with them, establishing what we know today as Groundhog Day. Groundhog handler AJ Derume stands in front of a crowd holding Punxsutawney Phil, who saw his shadow on Thursday to predict a late spring. Now its about [], LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) Two weeks after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century swept through the Maui community of Lahaina, authorities say anywhere between 500 and 1,000 people remain unaccounted for a staggering number that presents huge challenges for officials who are trying to determine how many of those perished and [], MARION, Kan. (AP) Newly released video shows the 98-year-old mother of a Kansas newspaper publisher confronting police officers as they searched her home in a raid that has drawn national scrutiny, at one point demanding: Get out of my house! Video released by the newspaper Monday shows Joan Meyer shouting at the six officers [], EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) The rights of a Michigan fruit grower were violated when a city barred him from a seasonal market because of his opposition to same-sex weddings at his orchard, a judge said. People look to the groundhog to predict how much longer winter will last. We hope you and your family enjoy the NEW Britannica Kids. Groundhog Day 2023: Origin, Traditions And Accuracy All Rights Reserved. He says the thinking was that if there was a high-pressure system in early February, things likely weren't changing and it would probably continue to be cold, while a low-pressure system suggests the potential for better weather ahead. And because hedgehogs aren't native to the U.S., they turned to groundhogs (which were plentiful in Pennsylvania) instead. In fact, the Delaware Nations long-ago neighbors, the Cherokee Nation, have their own legend that seems to explain why the groundhogs tail is so short, as told by James Mooney in Cherokee Origin of the Groundhog Dance.. Ponkis Utenink, which means land of the ponkis, was settled by Delaware Tribe members known as the Lenni Lenape. They get together to watch the groundhog and to sing songs and play games. Groundhog Day is a popular North American tradition observed in the United States and Canada on February 2. The groundhog was important to many of the native nations who lived on these lands for centuries before westerners arrived. 5. Your support makes this possible. However, the country experienced "above-average temperatures for both February and March 2020," according to scientists at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. The tradition of the holiday began with Pennsylvania's earliest settlers, who brought the legend of Candlemas Day, a Christian holiday that celebrates light over darkness, the Old Farmer's Almanac said. And both are marked by using riddles or jokes as part of their celebrations. The Origins of Groundhog Day. PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (KTAL/KMSS) On Thursday, Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter, but Groundhog Day is about much more than predicting the timeliness of spring.
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