Each year on Feb. 2, thousands of revelers climb atop Gobblers Knob
in Punxsutawney, Pa., (northcentral part of the state) to witness the
prediction of Punxsutawney Phil, a groundhog with the mythical ability
of forecasting either an early spring or lengthier winter. With the
help of his keepers and protectors, the tuxedo-clad members of the
mysterious Inner Circle, Phil shares that prediction with the world
from the region known as the Pennsylvania Wilds.
• If Phil sees
his shadow, he predicts six more weeks of winter and returns to his
burrow. If he does not see his shadow, spring is just around the corner.
• The first legendary trek to Gobbler’s Knob occurred in 1887.
•
Crowds numbering as high as 30,000 have visited Gobbler’s Knob for a
multiday festival celebrating the town’s most famous resident –
Punxsutawney Phil. Background European Roots
• The custom dates back
to the early days of Christianity in Europe and grew out of a winter
festival called Candlemas Day, a day for clergy to bless and distribute
candles. According to legend, clear skies on Candlemas Day meant an
extended winter.
• The Roman legions, during the conquest of the
northern country, brought this tradition to the Germans, who concluded
that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, a hedgehog would
cast a shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of bad weather or “Second
Winter.”
• In Germany, the hedgehog became part of the legend. The
German twist was that on a clear, sunny day, the hedgehog would cast a
shadow.
How the legend continued in Pennsylvania
• Some of
Pennsylvania’s earliest settlers were German, and they noted a large
population of groundhogs. Because of its resemblance to the European
hedgehog, the groundhog carried on the tradition.
• In 1887, a group of groundhog hunters from Punxsutawney dubbed themselves "The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club."
•
The editor of Punxsutawney's newspaper was a member of the Club and he
used his editorial clout to proclaim that Phil, the Punxsutawney
groundhog, was the one and only official weather prognosticating
groundhog.
• Phil's fame began to spread, and newspapers from around the globe began to report Punxsutawney Phil's predictions.
Fun Facts
• During Prohibition, Phil threatened to impose 60 weeks of winter if he didn’t get a drink.
• In 1981, Phil wore a yellow ribbon in honor of American hostages in Iran.
• In 1986, he visited President Reagan in Washington, D.C.
• In 1993, Columbia Pictures released the movie Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray.
• In 1995, Phil was on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
•
In 2001, Phil enjoyed a tour of New York City including appearances on
Regis Philbin Live, the CBS Early Show, and CNN. His prediction was
broadcast live on the Times Square jumbotron.
• In 2003, Governor
Edward G. Rendell was the first Pennsylvania Governor to participate in
the Annual Trek to Gobbler's Knob with the Inner Circle.
• Phil is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan; he sported a Terrible Towel in 2009 to celebrate the team’s Sixth Super Bowl victory.
By the way - Phil sees his shadow about 9 out of 10 times
