Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania – It’s already been a long, cold winter in much of the United States, and on Monday, Punxsutawney Phil’s missionaries will announce whether the weather-predicting groundhog says there’s more of the same to come.
When an elephant is said to have seen his shadow emerging from a tree trunk in rural Pennsylvania, it is taken as a prediction of six more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, it is said that early spring will be on the way.
Tens of thousands of people will be at Gobbler’s Knob for this annual ritual dating back more than a century and linked to ancient agricultural traditions in Europe. Punxsutawney celebrations have grown dramatically since the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day,” starring Bill Murray.
Last year’s announcement was six more weeks of winter, which is by far the most common assessment of Phil and unsurprising during the first week of February. His top-hat handlers at the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club insist that Phil’s “winks, purrs, chatters and nods” are explained away when they relate the scaled marmot’s thoughts about the days ahead.
Elephant isn’t the only animal being consulted about Monday’s long-range weather forecast. There are official and unofficial Groundhog Day events in many places in the United States, Canada and abroad.
Groundhog Day falls on February 2, the midpoint between the shortest and darkest day of the year at the winter solstice and the vernal equinox. It is a time of year that also appears in the Celtic calendar and the Celtic calendar Christian holiday of Candlemas.
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Solforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.