What is Groundhog Day and why is it celebrated?

(CNN) — Every year, Americans in snowy US states wait with bated breath to see if groundhog Punxsutawney Phil will see their shadow. And every year, we take Phil the groundhog’s weather forecast: Six more weeks of winter or early spring? And his forecast is like gospel, that’s how meteorology works!

How did Groundhog Day go from a whimsical local tradition to an annual celebration that even those of us who don’t care for winter can enjoy?

These are some facts you should know about Groundhog Day.

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February 2nd is Groundhog Day.

Groundhogs wake up from hibernation on February 2.

If a groundhog sees his shadow when he comes out of his burrow, there will be six more weeks of winter.

In 1973, Punxsutawney Phil delighted viewers with its beauty and disappointed them by predicting six more weeks of winter. (Credit: Batman Archive/Getty Images)

If you don’t see your shadow, spring will come soon.

This tradition began in Europe as Candlemas Day. Germans who settled in Pennsylvania in the 1700s brought the custom to the United States.

Pennsylvania’s Punxsutawney Phil is the most well-known, but more than a dozen states celebrate with their own groundhogs, such as Georgia’s General Beauregard Lee and Ohio’s Buckeye Chuck.

Punxsutawney Phil – in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania

His full name is “Punxsutawney Phil, seer seer, sage of sages, forecasters and weather prophet extraordinaire.”

February 2, 1886 – The Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper proclaims this date as Pennsylvania’s first official Groundhog Day celebration.

According to his owners, Phil correctly predicts the onset of spring 100% of the time. However, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, groundhogs have not demonstrated “any predictive ability” in recent years.

1986 – Phil goes to Washington, DC to meet with President Reagan.

1993 – Columbia Pictures released “Time Spell” starring Bill Murray.

In the years since the film’s release, as many as 30,000 people have visited Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney.

nineteen fifty five – Phil appears on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

January 27, 2010 – Animal rights group PETA suggests using a robotic groundhog instead of Punxsutawney Phil.

February 2, 2010 – For the first time, fans can sign up to receive text message alerts about Phil’s predictions.

February 28, 2020 – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is asking Punxsutawney Phil’s caretakers to let him retire and replace him with an animatronic groundhog.

Editor’s Note: This text was originally published in 2020 and updated in 2024.