Groundhog Day
Next: February 2, 2027
Shadow or not, spring is coming.
The story
Where it comes from
Groundhog Day grew from old European beliefs about Candlemas on 2 February, when the weather that day was said to foretell the rest of winter. In the small town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the local newspaper reported the first observance in 1886, and the first trek to Gobbler's Knob followed in 1887. The legend is simple: if the groundhog sees his shadow, he returns to his burrow and there are six more weeks of winter. If the day is cloudy, spring is on its way.
How it's celebrated
Before dawn, crowds gather at Gobbler's Knob, where the top-hatted Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club bring Phil out of his burrow and announce his prediction, usually soon after seven. The forecast is shared live around the world. Elsewhere, towns hold their own groundhog forecasts, and many people simply rewatch the 1993 film Groundhog Day.
Did you know
- The Punxsutawney Spirit reported the first observance in 1886 with the words 'up to the time of going to press the beast has not seen his shadow'.
- The film Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray, was released in 1993, and in the years that followed crowds of up to 30,000 came to Gobbler's Knob.
- In 1998 the forecast was broadcast live worldwide over the internet for the first time.
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