PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (NewsNation) — The legend of Punxsutawney Phil, the beloved rodent who is thought to be more than 130 years old, is simple. If the groundhog sees his shadow, it signals six more weeks of winter. If Punxsutawney Phil doesn’t, early spring is expected.
While this is a folklore many have heard since they were a kid, many aren’t familiar with how Groundhog Day became such a favored tradition.
The first known record of Groundhog Day, which originated from a German legend, was in a local paper in 1886 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Since 1887, Phil has seen his shadow 105 times, indicating there is a long winter in store, according to the NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. Phil has predicted an early spring only 20 times and there is no record for 10 years.
The tradition of the holiday began with Pennsylvania’s earliest settlers, who brought the legend of Candlemas Day, a Christian holiday that celebrates light over darkness, the Old Farmer’s Almanac said. The legend states, “For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May,” the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club said.
However, it wasn’t until the folklore was introduced to the Germans that the celebration included an animal of any kind, the club explained. In fact, the first animal used in the tradition wasn’t even a groundhog but rather a hedgehog. When German settlers migrates to the states, they brought their traditions and folklore with them, establishing what we know today as Groundhog Day.
It was in the states that the settlers chose a groundhog as the holiday legend.
Phil was named after King Philip, but prior to being called Phil, he was originally called Br’er Groundhog, the club said.
On Groundhog Day, members of Punxsutawney Phil’s “Inner Circle” summon him from his tree stump at dawn to learn if he has seen his shadow.
The “Inner Circle” is a group of local dignitaries who are responsible for planning the events, as well as feeding and caring for Phil himself. The “Inner Circle” president is supposedly able to communicate with Phil by speaking “Groundhogese,” and will read the scroll which Phil chooses during the ceremony.
This year, Phil picked the scroll that said he had seen his shadow, meaning there would be six more weeks of winter.
Traditions and celebrations have sprouted up around the legend that include a trek to “Gobblers Knob” where Phil makes his prediction, all-night parties and even weddings and pageants. While the groundhog’s predictions aren’t always accurate from a meteorological perspective, the sense of community steeped in tradition that’s grown around the annual event overshadows accuracy.
Phil’s superfans gather from all over the world to watch him make his weather prediction. Groundhog Day festivities normally begin the day before on Feb. 1 every year — including a talent show, banquet and many other social events.
“It brings a lot of people to the community,” Butch Philliber, a dignitary of the “Inner Circle,” said. “But you got to remember that we don’t have but about 70 beds in this town of 6500. So people actually spend the night in a 30-mile radius of the community. So it brings a lot of revenue to the community, but it also brings revenue to the Tri-County area.”
Philliber, who goes by the nickname Iceman, explained that people come from all over the place, including an estimated 26-30 countries and 46 states. The furthest country he has met people from was Australia.
Groundhog Day fans aren’t able to arrive at the official “Gobbler’s Knob” grounds until they open at 3 a.m. ET. Since the holiday has evolved over time, Groundhog Day activities don’t just end after Phil makes his predictions. In fact, celebratory events continue throughout the rest of the week — including the Groundhog Ball on Feb. 3.