Many may not have realized but today, February 2nd, marks the annual celebration of Groundhog Day. This weather related holiday is highly celebrated in elementary schools across the nation with crafts, parties, and cartoons. In later years this holiday gets overlooked and forgotten, despite it’s ability to put an end to the cold winter months.
Today, at 7:25 am, in Philadelphia Punxsutawney, Phil the groundhog crawled his way out of Gobbler’s Knob and saw his shadow, bringing us six more weeks of winter.
This tradition dates all the way back to 1887 and comes from German settlers. Before settling in America, the Germans used a hedgehog to make the prediction. Due to the United State’s lack of hedgehogs they decided to us another hibernating animal, a groundhog. The story behind this holiday says that that if a groundhog leaves it’s hole today and gets scared from the sight of their shadow, running back inside the den, there will be six more weeks of winter. If the groundhog doesn’t see it’s shadow then that means there will be an early spring. Even though most hope for the early increase of temperature and greenery in the 140 years of traditions the groundhog has seen his shadow a grand 107 times.
The hibernating hog in charge of the weather prediction is Punxsutawney Phil. It’s said that Phil has been looking for is shadow on this day for 140 years. Just like Santa Clause of the Easter Bunny there is only one groundhog and there has only ever been one ground hog.
With modern weather prediction technology this tradition has become a bit out dated and inaccurate. In the past ten years Phil and his shadow has only been correct in their prediction 30% of the time.
Rather you believe in the superstition or not it’s well know that a typical Colorado winter lasts all through February and many years March. Sorry to disappoint those of you who wear hoping for a cloudy shadowless Groundhog day but it’s not quite time to put away those sweaters and snow boots yet. Lucky for anyone who is sick of winter according to Phil the sun, flowers, and him will all be out in a few weeks, just keeping holding on until then.
