NATIONAL GROUNDHOG DAY 2021 – Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow?

National Groundhog Day is observed on February 2nd in the United States. Each year the groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil is awakened from his winter nap to see if he sees his shadow.

As the story goes, if Phil sees his shadow then he will retreat back to his den. Consequently, we will have six more weeks of winter! Yikes!

If Phil doesn’t see his shadow he will remain outside to play.  As a result, we can all celebrate believing spring is just around the corner. Yay!

Here’s hoping for a cloudy day and early spring!

Traditions & Early History

An early American reference to Groundhog Day is noted in a diary entry. A storekeeper James Morris of Berks County, Pennsylvania wrote on February 4th, 1841:
“Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas Day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate.”

Germans practiced the art of predicting the winter with a hedgehog.  German settlers moved to the hills of Pennsylvania when they arrived in the United States. However,  there weren’t any hedgehogs in PA. Instead, they chose the groundhog as the official predictor of winter. After that, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania was chosen as the site for the annual Groundhog day event. Thousands of people come to the town of Punxsutawney on Groundhog Day for this day of celebration. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle cares for Phil and organizes the event.

What truly gave rise and fame to the groundhog was the 1993 film Groundhog Day. It was set in Punxsutawney with actor Bill Murray portraying Phil Connors, a cynical television weatherman. Phil covered the annual Groundhog Day event and becomes trapped in a time loop forcing him to relive February 2nd repeatedly.

 

Source: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-groundhog-day-february-2/NATIONAL