Punxsutawney Phil is a groundhog who lives in Young Township, near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and is the focal point of the town’s annual Groundhog Day celebrations.
Punxsutawney hosts a civic festival with music and food every February 2nd. Phil emerges from his temporary home on Gobbler’s Knob, a rural area about 2 miles (3 km) southeast of town, during the ceremony, which begins well before the winter sunrise.
According to tradition, if Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, he will have six more weeks of winter-like weather. If Phil does not see his shadow, he predicts an “early spring.”
The event is based on a communal light-hearted suspension of disbelief, which includes the claim that the same groundhog has been making predictions since the nineteenth century.
Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions are based on a lighthearted suspension of disbelief among those involved.
According to the Groundhog Club, Phil makes the prediction and then speaks to the club president in ‘Groundhogese,’ which only the current president is said to understand, before translating and revealing his prediction to everyone.
What happened to Punxsutawney Phil?
Like always, the crowd gathered at Gobbler’s Knob to hear Punxsutawney Phil make his prediction on February 2.
Phil, the groundhog and purported weather sage, emerged before 7:30 a.m. to tell the world what was to come for the remainder of the winter.
The honorary groundhog did not see his shadow on Friday morning, indicating that spring will come early.
Phil has not seen his shadow in 138 years, making today the 21st occasion. The ceremony is run by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, which takes care of Phil and even maintains his Cameo page – where, for only $199, you can buy a video wishing your loved ones a happy Groundhog Day.
Groundhog Day is a major tourist attraction in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, a town in Jefferson County about 90 minutes northeast of Pittsburgh.
“We know this is silly; we know this is fun,” said Marcy Galando, executive director of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, during an interview. “We would like people to come here with a sense of humor.”
Is Groundhog Day accurate?
The prediction, or prognostication, as the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club refers to it, focuses on what to expect from the weather over the next six weeks.
If Phil sees his shadow, it means another six weeks of winter. On the same token, if Phil doesn’t see his shadow, it means spring is on the way.
Remember, “He is a groundhog, not a meteorologist.” As cute as Phil is, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that he is only correct about half of the time.
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