philOn February 2, 1887, Groundhog Day was celebrated for the first time in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Tradition is, if the groundhog sees his shadow, there’s six more weeks of winter; if not, it means an early spring. But where did the idea of Groundhog Day come from? It came about when clergy blessed and distributed candles for winter, a Christian tradition called Candlemas Day. The candles represented how long winter would be. Then the Germans chose the hedgehog as a weather predictor. When the Germans immigrated to Pennsylvania, they brought their tradition with them. Since groundhogs were plentiful in Pennsylvania, they became the new mascot. Then in 1887, a newspaper editor belonging to a local groundhog hunters club, declared Phil, the Punxsutawney groundhog, as America’s weather forecaster.

For more information about Phil and Groundhog Day, visit the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club website.

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