Groundhog Day is discover every February 2 in the United States . It ’s a day for the world - famousPunxsutawney Philand othergroundhogs(a.k.a . woodchucks ) to emerge from their hallowed golf hole across the nation to scope out their shadow and settle whether springtime is on the horizon or if we ’re getting six more workweek of winter . It ’s one of the United States ’s old tradition , immortalized by Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell in the 1993 movieGroundhog Day , about a grumpy weatherman who relives the holiday on repeat ( for potentially thousands of years ) until he can get his act together .
If you ’ve ever been curious as to why we put so much stock certificate into what these furred critters have to say about the weather , here are nine facts about the history of Groundhog Day .
1. Groundhog Day has its roots in another February 2 celebration.
Groundhog Day is an outgrowth of the Christian celebration ofCandlemas , which is held every February 2 — on the nose 40 day after Christmas . In parting of Europe , it was believed that a gay Candlemas meant another 40 days of winter were on the skyline . In Germanic Europe , Candlemas was denote asdachstag , or “ Badger Day , ” which utilizedbadgersto assistance with the weather prognostication . accord to custom , if the animal saw its shadow on that mean solar day , people were in for four more weeks of winter . Even earlier celebrants used bears to prefigure the weather , but as their numbers thin out , badgers became the go - to meteorologist ( thoughfoxesalso worked in a pinch ) . The Pennsylvania Dutch ported the tradition to the United States and replaced the badgers ( which were chiefly found in the central U.S. ) with themuch more commongroundhog .
2. Groundhog Day weather predictions were censored during World War II.
censoring rules throughoutWorld War IImeant that the biggest papers had to remain close - lipped about any information that Germany and Japan could use against the United States . The ruleswere so strictthat weather forecast could n’t be broadcast on the radio set , and paperswere forbidden from publishingsky condition and exact temperature . ( They could , however , write in vague terms like “ It will be cooler than yesterday ” or “ temperature will be the same as yesterday . ” ) In an clause inThe Miami Heraldfrom February 2 , 1943 , prognosticator H. A. Downes explained that , “ All weather condition condition are a military secret . To broadcast that a groundhog does or does n’t see his shadow might reveal sky conditions to the foeman . yearly groundhog day predictions will have to be skipped . ”
Those concern also extended to Groundhog Day celebration . In 1942 , Punxsutawney , Pennsylvania , canceled its one-year February 2 event because , accord toPunxsutawney Groundhog Club president Bill Cooper in 2002 , “ we did not desire to give our World War II enemies any favorable weather prognosis . ”
3. The first modern Groundhog Day event was held in 1887.
The earliest mention ofa day concerning groundhogs in the United Statesdates back to 1840 in the diary of Pennsylvanian James L. Morris , but the first known instance of people gathering together to celebrate camein 1887when a woodchuck ball club travel together to Gobbler ’s Knob in Punxsutawney to bring Punxsutawney Phil out to check for his shadow . ThePunxsutawney Spiritnewspaper had report on the groundhog not seeing his vestige the year before ( though no consequence was held ) , and itscity editor Clymer Freasis credited with inventing the day as we still lionise it .
4. TheGroundhog Daymovie made the holiday’s popularity explode.
Up until the Murray - MacDowell movie , a few thousand people would trek to Gobbler ’s Knob to partake in the festivities , but that number grew to the tons of thousands after it pip theater . Upwards of 40,000 peoplenow travel to where Phil the Weatherman and Phil the Groundhog face off in an existential battle of will ( and piano object lesson ) . That ’s abouteight time the population of Punxsutawneyitself .
5. The holiday has seen its fair share of violence and tragedy.
Punxsutawney Phil is not the only future - seeing rodent in the plot — there are dozens of other woodchuck who star in celebrations across the land . One is Jimmy , the groundhog for festivities in Sun Prairie , Wisconsin ( which styles itself as the Groundhog Capital of the World ) . In 2015,Jimmy turn mayor Jon Freundon the spike and was later excuse the next day . As you might guess , bit are common with these animals because they do n’t love being held by masses , but it ’s not always the gnawer doing the damage . In 2014 , then - Mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio overleap the Staten Island Marmota monax Charlotteduring their ceremony . She died a few days later on , and the Staten Island Zoo had to issue a press release stating that the fall was n’t what killed her . De Blasio never attend the ceremony again .
6. Punxsutawney Phil is named after King Philip (we just don’t know which one).
We ’ve been calling the Punxsutawney wonder “ Phil ” since 1961 , and several prescribed sources observe that the name isin honour of King Philip . Which King Philip ? Your guess is as good as any .
7. Punxsutawney Phil is actually terrible at predicting the weather.
Despite the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club proudly proclaiming thatPhilgets the weather right “ 100 percent of the meter , ” he‘s generally pretty awful about knowing whether winter is sting around or not . According to theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Association , Phil has only been right 40 percent of the prison term between 2011 and 2021 .
8. Everyone pretends that the same Punxsutawney Phil has been appearing on Groundhog Day since 1887.
Groundhogs only populate to be about 6 years sometime , but Punxsutawney Phil is reportedly keep alive via a magical elixir that he drinks a sip of every summer . As per the lore , it is the same Phil — who used to just be promise “ Br’er Groundhog ” or “ The Punxsutawney Groundhog ” until 1961 — who has been delivering weather pronouncement since 1887 , which put him at 135 years sure-enough .
9. Punxsutawney Phil met Oprah.
In 1995 , Phil went to Chicago tomake an appearanceonThe Oprah Winfrey Show . The groundhog was imposingly unagitated , leading Oprah to call for coach Bill Deely , “ Is Phildrugged ? ” Deely responded , “ No , Phil is not drugged . Phil have a go at it the cameras . He thinks he ’s performing . ”
Phil ’s also democratic with politicians : In March 1986 , members of the Groundhog Club went to Washington , D.C. topresent President Ronald Reaganwith a laurel wreath and a photocommemoratingPhil ’s centesimal anniversary . It was n’t until 2003 that a sitting Pennsylvania governor — Ed Rendell at the time — traveled to Punxsutawney to partake in the festivities .
When he ’s not hobnobbing at Gobbler ’s Knob , Phil resides with his married woman Phyliss ( a mere mortal who does n’t receive the same “ magical elixir ” as her married man ) in a mood - controlled sanctuary that ’s part of the town program library .
A version of this story originally lam in 2022 ; it has been updated for 2023 .
