Groundhog Day
Every year, we wait in anticipation to see if the famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, will see his shadow on February 2nd. If he does, we’ll have six more weeks of Winter; if he doesn’t, Spring is around the corner. With Groundhog Day coming up next Tuesday, here are some fun facts about the holiday.
The holiday dates back to the 1800s.
In the 1800s, German immigrants in Pennsylvania brought along their legends and holidays. While they would typically use badgers for this holiday, they decided to use an animal that they could find here - a groundhog.
Punxsutawney Phil is just a nickname.
Like most people with a long name, this famous groundhog goes by a much shorter nickname. His official name is Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary.
The event’s popularity rose after the movie, Groundhog Day.
Though the event did draw crowds back in the day, it wasn’t until the 1993 release of the movie where the numbers rose. Afterwards, more than 30,000 people would come together when the town’s popularity was only about 7,000.
Here’s hoping for an early Spring. Happy Groundhog Day!