Groundhog Day

Every year, thousands of people gather in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to watch Punxsutawney Phil dictate the weather. This tradition first appeared in newspapers in 1886. Groundhog Day originated from the Christian holiday, Candlemas Day. On Candlemas Day, Christians would take their candles to the church to have them blessed for the remainder of the winter. In Germany, the traditional belief was that if a hedgehog saw their shadow, there would be six more weeks of bad weather. Then, when German settlers came to the United States, they found that hedgehogs were not native, so they changed it to a groundhog. 

On Groundhog Day, the groundhog is said to come out of his hole after hibernating and look for his shadow. If he sees his shadow, it means that there will be six more weeks of winter. If he does not see it, it means that spring is coming and that he should stay above ground. Since the movie Groundhog Day came out in 1993, there has been an increase in the number of people who come to watch the Groundhog Day festivities. This year, over 30,000 people attended the event. In most years, including this one, Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow, meaning that winter will be longer. Will his prediction be correct this year?