German tradition holds that if the sun rises in Candlemas, the precursor to Groundhog Day, the hedgehog (or badger) will see its shadow and six more weeks of winter will follow. When German settlers arrived in Pennsylvania they continued this tradition, using marmots instead of hedgehogs to predict the weather.
The first official Groundhog Day was celebrated on February 2, 1886 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, with a proclamation in The Punxsutawney Spirit by the newspaper’s publisher, Clymer Freas: “Today is Groundhog Day and so far to press the beast has not seen its shadow «. The legendary first Groundhog Day trip to Gobbler’s Knob was made the following year by a group of energetic groundhog hunters calling themselves “The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.” Club member Clymer used his editorial influence to proclaim that Phil, the Punxsutawney groundhog, was the only official weather forecasting groundhog.
Phil’s fame began to spread and newspapers around the world began to report his predictions. Growing legions of fans began trekking to Punxsutawney every February 2, and with the release of the 1993 film “Groundhog Day,” starring Bill Murray, the crowds began to number in the tens of thousands. Phil’s annual Groundhog Day predictions are even entered into the Congressional Register!
The name of the Punxsutawney story
Punxsutawney was first colonized by Delaware Indians in 1723 and its name comes from the Indian name for the location “ponksad-uteney,” which means the “city of sand flies.” The name marmot also has Indian origins, coming from the legend of “Wojak, the marmot.”
Punxsutawney Location
Punxsutawney is located in western Pennsylvania, about 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
Punxsutawney Phil’s full name and how he got it
The full name of the groundhog is actually “Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Sages, Sage of Sages, Forecaster of Forecasters, and Extraordinary Meteorologist.” This was proclaimed by the “Punxsutawney Groundhog Club” in 1887, the same year that they declared Punxsutawney the climate capital of the world.
Grounndhog day preparations
For most of the year, Phil lives in a climate-controlled home at the Punxsutawney Library. They take him to Gobbler’s Knob and place him in a hot burrow under a simulated tree stump on stage before being taken out at 7:25 a.m. on Groundhog Day, February 2, to make their prediction.
Phil’s age
Phil is reputed by the townspeople to be over 100 years old, surviving beyond the normal life of a groundhog thanks to the strong build of his wife, Phyllis, and a steady diet of Groundhog Punch.
Filming location for “Groundhog Day”
Unfortunately, the answer is no. Columbia Pictures decided to shoot the film in a location more accessible to a major metropolitan center. Punxsutawney is in a very rural area with few roads, so Woodstock, Illinois, was chosen as the location for the film. As a result, adjustments had to be made for production. The Real Gobbler’s Knob is a wooded hill with a beautiful view; The Gobbler’s Knob in the film is moved to the town square, although it is recreated to scale based on detailed notes and videos the team made on their visit to Punxsutawney.
Where to watch the ceremony
Most of the major television stations across the country, as well as the big screen in Times Square, broadcast the official Groundhog Day ceremony.
What to Expect at the Punxsutawney Groundhog Day Celebration
Plan to arrive in Punxsutawney no later than 6am in time to catch one of the several shuttle services that provide transportation to Gobbler’s Knob (there is no parking in Knob). Or, arrive a day or two early for a weekend of action-packed events including chili cooking, ice carving displays, trivia contests, a tipsters ball, groundhog day weddings, field trips. sledding, groundhog cutting, Phil Phind’s treasure hunt, music, food, fun and games. If you are celebrating a birthday on February 2, then you are invited to join others in sharing the special day for Phil’s birthday celebration and a free keepsake.
Other groundhogs that predict the weather
Alan Freed, webmaster of Punxsutawneyphil.com and Groundhog.org, says “We will take them seriously as soon as a great movie is created in their honor!”
