What is Groundhog Day?
1. February 2nd is Groundhog Day. It is the day that the fictional
groundhog, “Punxsutawney Phil”, comes out of his hole after a long winter. Punxsutawney Phil lives in Gobbler’s Knob Pennsylvania.
2. If Groundhog Day is sunny, Phil sees his shadow. So, Phil
thinks there will be six more weeks of winter and he returns to his hole. If Groundhog Day is cloudy, Phil doesn’t see his shadow. So, Phil thinks spring is coming soon and he stays above ground.
3. Groundhog Day began as Candlemas Day. In European
countries, Christian priests and pastors bless candles and distribute them to people on February 2nd. If Candlemas Day is sunny, people think winter will be longer. If Candlemas Day is cloudy, people think spring is coming soon.
4. Many German people settled in Pennsylvania. They brought
the Candlemas Day tradition with them, but they used groundhogs instead of candles. So, that’s why we have Groundhog Day in America.
