Groundhog Club handler AJ DeReume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog who predicted the weather, during the 138th celebration of Groundhog Day at Gobbler’s Knob on Friday in Punxsutawney, PA.
Barry Rieger/AP
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Barry Rieger/AP
Groundhog Club handler AJ DeReume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog who predicted the weather, during the 138th celebration of Groundhog Day at Gobbler’s Knob on Friday in Punxsutawney, PA.
Barry Rieger/AP
Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog who has been predicting when winter will end since 1887, says things are about to warm up.
A proclamation at Gobblers’ Knob read, “Good news on this Groundhog Day. An early spring is on the way,” which excited the crowd of thousands who braved the darkness and cold to see the famous rodent.
Crowds of people came to Punxsutawney, PA, to see the small town’s famous groundhog perform his annual duty in person. But even more people came online to watch live video streamed from the event.
The event was livestreamed by PCNTV, a Pennsylvania nonprofit, and The Associated Press.
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This all comes with a caveat.
“Over the past 10 years, Phil has got it right an average of 30% of the time,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in an update Friday.
Could there be any more symbol of our age than millions of people using smartphones to find out whether a prescient rodent is predicting six more weeks of winter?
That’s Groundhog Day in 2024 – a mix of modern technology with the traditions of ancient Celtic times.
We all just want the promise of spring
“Frankly, it’s the middle of winter. Frankly, we’re bored, and looking for something to keep us busy this time of year,” Christine Maher, a biology professor at the University of Southern Maine, told NPR. “Maybe guessing about the weather has a unique way of keeping us busy. And maybe we’re desperate for a sign that spring is coming!”
The custom of finding a sign of early spring or late winter stems from the Christian tradition of Candlemas – which has its roots in older rituals.
According to the Almanac website, “Candlemas was originally a Celtic festival marking the ‘cross-quarter day’ or midpoint of the season.” “The Sun is halfway through its progress from the winter solstice to the spring equinox.”
By celebrating the groundhog, in other words, we are celebrating the return of light and the promise of spring.
Groundhogs – also called woodchucks, land beavers, whistle pigs or red monks – were pressed into service the day Europeans realized that the hibernating animal they associated with the arrival of spring in the Old Country There was a type of badger, he was not a native. North America.
Maher said human expansion into previously wooded areas has helped groundhogs thrive. “By cutting down forests and creating more open areas with food supplies (herbaceous plants), we have created habitats that are more favorable for woodchucks.”
“They have also adapted well to living around humans, like other urban or suburban wildlife such as red foxes, chipmunks and tree squirrels.”
So, what is the Groundhog Day tradition?
If the animal sees its shadow, tradition goes, it means six more weeks of winter, and he (or she) returns to its hole. If there is no shadow, the animal stops there, which is a sign of early spring.
Punxsutawney Phil is the most famous example of forecasting animals, having been in operation since 1887. And while men dominate the roster, many female groundhogs are also in on the predation game. Other groundhogs and even other animals are consulted for indications of when winter will end.
There’s no Groundhog Day joy this year again in Milltown, NJ, where the Milltown Mail died before even making its prediction in 2022. Efforts to replace him in the city have run into legal hurdles.
Events surrounding the big reveal in Punxsutawney have increased over the years, along with widespread media interest and corporate sponsorships. Groundhog Day events in 2024 range from “Lunch with Phil” to a talent show, a Groundhog Ball, and a banquet, culminating in a “Hogshospitality Village” and another event titled, “Party All Night!”
