Early Saturday morning, as Groundhog Day 2013 arrived in Punxsutawney, PA, and Punxsutawney Phil poked his head out and didn’t see his shadow which means, according to tradition that we will have an early Spring. Millions of people around the United States tuned in to see if winter will continue for another six weeks, or if we will have an early Spring this year. The Weather Channel is broadcasting live in Punxsutawney all day Saturday and the news has created a buzz.
The weather in Punxsutawney is forecasted cold and snowy over the next few days and Saturday morning that left little chance of the sun coming out.
Over the last few days, thousands of people began to trickle into the small town of Punxsutawney, PA for the annual event, and over 35,000 people attended the ceremony this morning and the activities that will take place all day.
Punxsutawney Phil has been coming out of his hole on Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania for several centuries. February 2 is known as Groundhog Day; the movie of the same title with Bill Murray made the name famous in the 1990s.
Tradition states that if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow then we have six more weeks of winter, if he doesn’t see his shadow and it is a cloudy day then the next six weeks will be moderate.
Groundhog Day was first mentioned in the diary of Pennsylvania storekeeper, James Morris on February 5, 1841, according to Wikipedia he wrote:
Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate.
For a video explanation of Groundhog Day, click here and scroll down.
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Sources: Wikipedia
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