When and What is Groundhog Day?
February 2nd each year brings the most-watched weather forecast of the year—and the only one led by a rodent! As the story goes, if the groundhog sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter; if not, there will be an early spring.
The “first” Groundhog Day
The first official Groundhog Day celebration took place on February 2, 1887, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. It was the creation of local newspaper editor, Clymer Freas, who sold a group of businessmen and groundhog hunters (known as the “Punxsutawney Groundhog Club”) on the idea. The men tramped through the deep Pennsylvanian snow to a site called Gobbler’s Knob, where the inaugural furry forecaster became the bearer of bad news when he caught a glimpse of his shadow.
However, the earliest known mention of Groundhog Day was decades earlier in the early 1850s.
“The 2nd of February is known to our natives of the mountain by the not very euphonious name of ground-hog day. It is believed, by them, to be a certain index of the weather for the first six weeks.” –Lebanon Courier and Semi-Weekly Report (Lebanon, PA), 13 Feb. 1852
Origins of Groundhog Day
Falling midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, February 2 is a significant day in several ancient and modern traditions. The Celts, for instance, celebrated it as Imbolc, a pagan festival marking the beginning of spring. [For more information on Imbolc, also known as Oimelc, and its origins check out: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/imbolc]
As Christianity spread through Europe, Imbolc evolved into Candlemas, a feast commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the holy temple in Jerusalem. In certain parts of Europe, Christians believed that a sunny Candlemas meant another 40 days (or about six weeks) of cold and snow.
Germans developed their own version of the legend, pronouncing the day sunny only if badgers, hedgehogs, and other small animals caught sight of their own shadows. When German immigrants settled Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries, they brought the custom with them, choosing the native groundhog as the annual season prognosticator due to the fact that it was rather plentiful in the area.
Groundhog Facts
- Scientific Name: Marmota monax
- Other Names: Woodchuck, whistle-pig, and land-beaver.
- Average Size: 20″ long with 6-7″ tail, 6-15 lbs. – Groundhogs are the largest species in the squirrel family.
- Average Lifespan in the Wild: 3-6 years
- Identifying Features: brown fur; round body with a small bushy tail; short, strong legs with curved claws for burrowing; small, round eyes and ears located on the top of a flat heat; two long, ever-growing incisors.
- Geography and Habitat: Groundhogs are found in the majority of central and eastern United States, as well as in parts of Alaska and Canada. Known as an “edge” species, groundhogs prefer transitional areas where forest or woodland meets a well-vegetated open field or meadow.
- Living Quarters: With their long, sharp claws, groundhogs dig complex multi-chamber burrows that they use for hoarding food, nesting and hibernating. Groundhog burrows are so complex that each has its own “bathroom” chamber.
- How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? About 700 pounds
Want to know more? Here are a few websites to check out!
https://news.cornell.edu/stories/1996/02/groundhog-day-facts-and-factoids
