Will Punxsutawney Phil See His Shadow on Groundhog Day 2024?
Okay, we can all admit that Groundhog Day is a bit of a funny holiday. When chilly winter weather arrives, we are bound to start checking our local channels or phone apps for regular temperature updates. We may wonder, is today cold enough to sip hot chocolate? And, Ree and Ladd Drummond might check the whole week's forecast to see if they need to start breaking up their frozen pond. Yet in the very midst of the season, we turn to the guidance of a large, albeit adorable rodent to predict when spring will arrive. I mean, who needs a spring equinox when you have a furry oracle? 😂
For everyone hoping to tune in, we've gathered all the information you need to know about Groundhog Day 2023, when it is, and the tradition's history.
When is Groundhog Day 2023?
Sorry, but first, we must also address a more dire question—is it Groundhog Day or Groundhogs Day? (Dramatic drum roll)
Groundhog day is February 2 this year and every year. In 2023, February 2 falls on a Thursday.
What is Groundhog Day?
This uniquely American tradition is essentially about weather prediction. Each February 2, the nation looks to a special groundhog — Punxsutawney Phil — to tell us if winter weather will last through the season or if we can expect spring-like temperatures early. According to the lore, if Phil sees his shadow and retreats back to his burrow, we'll have six more weeks of wintry weather. If he emerges and doesn't see his shadow, spring weather is close at hand (finally, time to break out those spring dresses!)
Did the groundhog see his shadow in 2023?
It's official! Punxsutawney Phil emerged on Gobbler's Knob in Pennsylvania and saw his shadow once again. Which means six more weeks of winter, according to Phil. I guess we won't be putting those winter coats away anytime soon!
Punxsutawney Phil, of western Pennsylvania, is by far the most famous groundhog. However, there are other famous groundhogs around the country, including groundhogs from Wisconsin, Georgia, and New York (Sun Praire Jimmy, Beauregard Lee, and Staten Island Chuck, respectively)
How did Groundhog Day start?
This odd tradition was officially celebrated for the first time in America during the winter of 1887 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. It's believed that Groundhogs Day came from two older traditions, Imbolc and Candlemas Day. Ancient Celts celebrated Imbolc, a festival marking the midpoint between seasons, where someone foretold the coming weather. Similarly, Candlemas also involved predicting the weather, according to lore:
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.
(John Ray, 1678)
The whole groundhog thing also seems to have come from Europe. Germans had an almost identical tradition, only a badger predicted the weather instead of a groundhog!
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