Groundhog Day
During this North American holiday, a Pennsylvanian groundhog predicts the end of winter.
During this North American holiday, a Pennsylvanian groundhog predicts the end of winter.
Origin
The first Groundhog Day as we currently know it occurred in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on February 2nd, 1887. According to The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, Groundhog Day first appeared in a newspaper in 1886, but the tradition was not cemented until the following year.
As folklorist Dan Yoder told Folklife Today, Groundhog Day has its roots in a number of festivals. Yoder traced the roots of Groundhog Day, in his book of the same name, to the Celtic festival of Imbolc. Imbolc marked the turning of the seasons and, through the myths connected to it, related to agrarian customs, including animal husbandry.
Candlemas, which grew in German-speaking parts of Europe, also took place on February 2 and was associated with weather prognostication. The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs contains several weather-predicting poems written for Candlemas throughout the 1500s and 1600s. In Germany, many of the weather predictions centered around badgers. Several Germans referred to Candlemas as “Badger Day,” referencing the badger’s ability to predict the end of winter.
In the 1700s, German speakers settled throughout the United States, with many centering in Pennsylvania. When they immigrated, they brought several traditions with them. One of these traditions was Groundhog Day.
Traditions
Groundhog Day, as the name implies, focuses on the groundhog. Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous groundhog of Groundhog Day, is the subject of intense media scrutiny every February 2nd. Media and groundhog watchers gather on Gobbler’s Knob waiting for Punxsutawney Phil to emerge from his home. A group of local dignitaries known as the “Inner Circle” preside over the day’s events. If Punxsutawney Phil emerges and sees his shadow, he will return to hibernation, signaling six more weeks of winter. If he emerges and doesn’t see his shadow, spring is approaching.
Punxsutawney Phil is the most famous weather-predicting animal, but he isn’t the only one. In 2021, a study published in the journal Weather, Climate, and Society reported on 530 groundhog weather predictions, across 33 locations. Other famous weather-guessing groundhogs include Wiarton Willie of Canada, Chuckles of Connecticut and Jimmy the Groundhog of Wisconsin.
What to say
“Happy Groundhog Day!” is a perfectly acceptable greeting across the United States and Canada.