Happy National Groundhog Day! Did Punxsutawney Phil See His Shadow?
PUNXSUTAWNEY, PA - FEBRUARY 01: Punxsutawney Groundhog Club Inner Circle Members Jason Gursky and official handler, AJ Dereume and Punxsutawney Phil, the weather-predicting groundhog, work a Zoom call with schoolchildren in hundreds of schools throughout the United States on Gobblers Knob on February 1, 2021 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. While last year's tradition of using the groundhog to determine whether there will be six more weeks of winter brought 44,000 people to the small town of 22,000 in central Pennsylvania, tomorrow's event will be held virtually, with no visitors permitted. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
Happy National Groundhog Day!
Some bad news: Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so there will be six more weeks of winter. Boo!
Here are some fun facts about Groundhog Day:
- The groundhog wakes up from hibernation on Feb. 2. If you forget how it goes, the groundhog sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If not, spring will be here soon.
- The groundhog tradition started in Europe as Candlemas Day.
- Germans who settled in Pennsylvania in the 1700s took that European custom and brought it to America.
- Pennsylvania’s Punxsutawney Phil is the most famous groundhog, but many states have their own.
- Punxsutawney’s full name is “Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary.”
Anne Erickson started her radio career shortly after graduating from Michigan State University and has worked on-air in Detroit, Flint, Toledo, Lansing and beyond. As someone who absolutely loves rock, metal and alt music, she instantly fell in love with radio and hasn’t looked back. When she’s not working, Anne makes her own music with her band, Upon Wings, and she also loves cheering on her favorite Detroit and Michigan sports teams, especially Lions and MSU football. Anne is also an award-winning journalist, and her byline has run in a variety of national publications. You can also hear her weekends on WRIF.
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