Celebrating Groundhog Day

in Current Events Lifestyle by Jillian — February 2, 2010 |

I grew up in Illinois just hop, skip and a jump from where the infamous movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray was filmed. Needless to say, celebrations of this holiday are pretty big in the stomping grounds where I was raised. In high school it was mandatory to be at the school by five am in order to partake in ridiculous groundhog themed games. If you didn’t show, it would count against your grade in science.

Groundhog Day, as it is celebrated in the United States and Canada, originated in Pennsylvania in the 18th century. It takes place on February 2nd each year. This American and Canadian holiday was derived from a similar celebration in Europe where a badger or sacred bear was used to determine how much longer the winter would last. The Europeans who brought this tradition over used groundhogs instead of bears because they were safer and easier to come by. Unlike a bear, a groundhog could be present at the festivals. People come together at the wee early hours of the morning to celebrate and eat with family, friends and neighbors. Breakfast foods like donuts and pastries are mostly served at these celebrations. Groundhog themed games take place for the children and the adults take bets on if the groundhog will see his shadow or not.

The theory is if the groundhog sees his shadow when he comes out of his burrow then he will be scared and retreat back into his burrow. This means there is another six weeks of winter ahead. If the groundhog comes out of his burrow and doesn’t see his shadow and retreat back to his burrow, then we will experience an early spring. The most famous groundhog today is Punxsutawney Phil who resides in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Nearly 40,000 people flock to Punxsutawney each year to see Phil and millions across the nation view footage of him in the news.

Depending on who you ask, the accuracy rate of the groundhog’s prediction varies. Proponents of the holiday insist that groundhogs have had an accuracy rate of about 80%, but according to the National Climatic Data, the accuracy rate is only about 37%. This data can also vary depending on what city this data is taken from. Groundhog Day is mostly celebrated in Canada, the Midwest and northern half of the East Coast, but even though these providences and states experience much of the same weather, statistics of what constitutes as spring weather varies. In recent years, some have argued that global warming has impacted the groundhog’s ability to predict accurately.

Groundhog Day may seem like a silly holiday, but it is a tradition that some hold dear and take seriously. Even if one doesn’t believe in the groundhog, he or she may still wonder what the groundhog’s prediction may be. I’ve given up on the groundhog predictions, but that doesn’t mean I still don’t anticipate his prediction and pig out on special groundhog shaped sweets February 2nd each year.

Related posts:

1. The History of Halloween
2. The History of Mardi Gras
3. Funny Christmas Cards for the Holidays

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