1. The Germans Started the Tradition of Groundhogs Day
Early European Christians believed that if the sun came out on Candlemas (February 2), there would be six more weeks of winter. Candlemas is considered the Christian "Festival of Lights." When German immigrants came to Pennsylvania, their celebration of Candlemas came with them, eventually evolving into Groundhogs' Day.
2. A Groundhog Can Actually Predict the End of Winter
Groundhogs can do this not only with their shadows, but because of their hibernation. Because groundhogs hibernate and leave their home when spring comes, seeing groundhog out and about is a natural sign that spring is here. They live all over the central and eastern U.S., so there is always a chance you might see a groundhog predicting the weather other than Punxsutawney Phil.
3. Punxsutawney Phil is just a Nickname
Though his first name is already longer than my full name, he actually has an even longer name. His full name is, "Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary." In my opinion, that's way too many words, but the shorter nickname is quite catchy.
4. The Original Groundhogs' Day Included Eating Groundhogs
After celebrating Phil's prediction in 1886, the townspeople headed over to a place known as Gobbler's Knob to eat a feast of groundhogs, and even groundhog juice. Personally, I didn't even know groundhogs were edible, but apparently this feast was an important part of the original tradition. Yikes!
5. Punxsutawney Phil Isn't the Only Weather Predictor
There are a few states that have their own groundhog for the tradition. In Atlanta, they use General Beau Lee, in Raleigh they use Sir Walter Wally, and in Birmingham, Alabama, they use Birmingham Bill.
6. There is a Movie Called Groundhog Day, That's About a Weather Man?
In 1993, a movie called Groundhog Day was released . In the movie, a weather man gets stuck in a lop of repeating the same day, Groundhog Day. Tired of Groundhog Day and reporting the weather on that day, he decides to look for a distraction until he finds a way of turning his situation around. Ultimately, he finds romance and creates a happier life for himself. If you are interested in watching a romantic comedy, check it out!
7. Flipping a Coin is More Reliable than Phil's Prediction
The National Climatic Data Center did an experiment to find out how accurate Phil was from 1988 to 2012. Phil was accurate only 39% of the time, which is significantly less reliable of a chance than the 50/50 coin toss probability.
8. Punxsutawney Phil Might Know the Secret to Everlasting Life
While, unfortunately, groundhogs can't live forever, the iconic character Punxsutawney Phil does. The same groundhog hasn't been deciding whether winter will continue or spring will come early since 1877, but we still consider our weather predicting groundhog to always be Phil. This silly tradition has persisted for a long time, and it will likely continue to for many years to come.
Happy Groundhog Day!