The bizarre history of Groundhog Day (2024)

By Scottie Andrew| CNN

Every year, Americans in snowy states wait with bated breath to see whether Punxsutawney Phil will spot his shadow. And every year, we take Phil’s weather forecast – six more weeks of winter, or an early spring? – as gospel, meteorology be damned.

It’s about as strange (and cute) as holidays get. So how did Groundhog Day go from a kooky local tradition to an annual celebration even those of us who don’t worry about winter can find the fun in?

We explore Groundhog Day’s origins from a tiny event to an American holiday we can all be proud of. Spoiler: there are badgers, immortality and at least one groundhog on the menu.

Groundhog Day was originally celebrated with … a badger?

The bizarre history of Groundhog Day (1)

Every February 2, the members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club trek to Gobbler’s Knob, Punxsutawney Phil’s official home just outside of town. Donning top hats and tuxedos, the group waits for Phil to leave his burrow, and if he sees his shadow, the town gets six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, Punxsutawney gets an early spring.

But the early seeds of the Groundhog Day we know today were planted thousands of years ago, according to Dan Yoder, a folklorist “born and raised in the Groundhog Country of Central Pennsylvania” who penned the definitive history of the folk holiday turned national tradition.

The holiday evolved over centuries as it was observed by different groups, from the Celts to Germans to the Pennsylvania Dutch and eventually, by those in other parts of the US. Its evolution began in the pre-Christian era of Western Europe, when the Celtic world was the predominant cultural force in the region. In the Celtic year, instead of solstices, there were four dates – similar to the dates we use today to demarcate the seasons – that were the “turning points” of the year. One of them, per Yoder, was February 1.

These turning point dates were so essential to Europeans at the time that they Christianized them when Western Europe widely adopted Christianity. While May 1 became May Day, and November 1 became All Saints’ Day, the February 1 holiday was pushed to the following day – and would eventually become Groundhog Day.

First, though, the February holiday was known as “Candlemas,” a day on which Christians brought candles to church to be blessed – a sign of a source of light and warmth for winter. But like the other three “turning points,” it was still a “weather-important” date that signified a change in the seasons, Yoder wrote.

And when agriculture was the biggest, if not only, industry of the region, predicting the weather became something of a ritual viewed as essential to the health of crops and townsfolk. There was some mysticism attached to the holiday, too, as seen in a poem from 1678 penned by the naturalist John Ray:

“If Candlemas day be fair and bright

Winter will have another flight

If on Candlemas day it be showre and rain

Winter is gone and will not come again.”

The animal meteorology element wasn’t folded in until German speakers came to parts of Europe formerly populated by the Celtic people and brought their own beliefs to the holiday – except, instead of a groundhog, they hedged their bets on a badger. An old European encyclopedia Yoder cited points to the German badger as the “Candlemas weather prophet,” though it’s not clear why. (Sources including the state of Pennsylvania and the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club say the Germans also considered hedgehogs as harbingers of the new season.) When the holiday came overseas with the Pennsylvania Dutch, they traded the badger for an American groundhog, equally shy and subterranean and likely more prevalent in the area in which they settled.

Many sources claim that the original Groundhog Day took place in 1887, when residents of Punxsutawney set out to Gobbler’s Knob, known as Phil’s “official” home, but the first piece of evidence Yoder found of townspeople trusting a groundhog for the weather, a diary entry, was dated 1840. And since Pennsylvania Dutch immigrants mostly arrived in the mid-to-late 18th century, it’s likely that the holiday existed for decades earlier than we have recorded, per the Library of Congress.

From a dinner plate to a pedestal: Phil’s journey to stardom

The bizarre history of Groundhog Day (2)

Part of the reason so many of us know about Groundhog Day is due to the 1993 film of the same name. The phrase “groundhog day” even became shorthand for that déjà vu feeling of reliving the same day over and over. But Punxsutawney Phil became something of a cult celebrity even before the film debuted – he appeared on the “Today” show in 1960, according to the York Daily Record, and visited the White House in 1986. He even charmed Oprah Winfrey, appearing on her show in 1995.

Before he was a celebrity, though, he was lunch. In a terrible twist, the earliest Groundhog Days of the 19th century involved devouring poor Phil after he made his prediction. The year 1887 was the year of the “Groundhog Picnic,” Yoder said. Pennsylvania historian Christopher Davis wrote that locals cooked up groundhog as a “special local dish,” served at the Punxsutawney Elk Lodge, whose members would go on to create the town’s Groundhog Club. Diners were “pleased at how tender” the poor groundhog’s meat was, Davis said.

Groundhog meat eventually left the menu of Punxsutawney establishments as the townsfolk realized his worth. In the 1960s, Phil got his name, a nod to “King Phillip,” per the Groundhog Club. (The specific King Phillip he was named for is unclear; Mental Floss pointed out that there has not been a King Phillip of Germany, where many Pennsylvania settlers came from, in centuries). Before that, he was simply “Br’er Groundhog.”

Punxsutawney Phil’s popularity has inspired several imitators: There’s Staten Island Chuck in New York, Pierre C. Shadeaux of Louisiana and Thistle the Whistle-pig of Ohio, to name a few fellow groundhog weather prognosticators. But there’s only one Phil, and he’s the original.

Despite their early practice of noshing on Phil’s family, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club avers that there has only been one Phil since 1886. He’s given an “elixir of life” every year at the summertime Groundhog Picnic, which “magically gives him seven more years of life,” the club said. (Groundhogs can live up to six years in the wild and up to 14 in captivity, per PBS’ Nature, so do with that what you will.)

Phil also doesn’t have to spend the offseason alone. He’s married to Phyliss, per the Groundhog Club, who does not receive the same elixir of life and so will not live forever like her groundhog husband. There is no official word on how many wives Phil has outlived through over the years.

As for his accuracy in weather-predicting – Phil’s hit or miss. He often sees his shadow – 108 times, before this year, per the York Daily Record, which has analyzed every single one of Phil’s official weather predictions since the 19th century. Two years ago, Phil saw his shadow, which coincided with a huge winter storm.

This year, though, Phil emerged without spotting his shadow, projecting an early spring – a welcome surprise for those of us already shivering through February.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

The bizarre history of Groundhog Day (2024)

FAQs

What is the story behind Groundhog Day? ›

It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and sees its shadow, it will retreat to its den and winter will go on for six more weeks; if it does not see its shadow, spring will arrive early. In 2024, an early spring was predicted.

What is the hidden message in Groundhog Day? ›

There is contentment and meaning to be found in even the worst of situations. Intentionally looking for the good things, even if you're simultaneously working to change the situation, can save you heartache, time, and money.

What is the pagan origin of Groundhog Day? ›

Imbolc. The roots of Groundhog Day can be traced to the Irish Celtic festival, Imbolc, which marks the beginning of spring. Celebrated on February 1 and associated with the goddess of fertility, now known as St. Brigid, Imbolc marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.

How many times has Groundhog Day been wrong? ›

Between 1887 and 2023, the forecasting groundhog saw his shadow 107 times, according to NOAA. There was no shadow to be seen 20 times. During the late 1800s, 10 years were lost because no records were kept, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.

What is the moral behind Groundhog Day? ›

Aside from plenty of laughs, “Groundhog Day” delivers powerful messages about change, love and being a good person. Phil is unable to break the time loop until he totally changes who he is.

What is the deeper meaning of Groundhog Day? ›

'Groundhog Day' is all about karma

Once ignorance and ego are destroyed by your actions and awareness, you awaken to the true, interconnected reality, which frees you from the cycle and into heavenly nirvana.

Why does Peta want to stop Groundhog Day? ›

PETA argues that the annual tradition involves “forcing a shy, sensitive animal out into the cold, waving him around overhead in front of loud crowds and treating him like an object shouldn't be.”

Is Groundhog Day about God? ›

But now you know that Groundhog Day (at least the roots of Groundhog Day) once celebrated an important event in the early life of Jesus. The day commemorates the first New Testament promise that Christ would also be the Savior of the Gentiles. And here's hoping the groundhogs see shadows a mile long today.

How is Groundhog Day rooted in Christianity? ›

Groundhog Day's roots come from the ancient Christian tradition of Candlemas Day, when clergy would bless and distribute candles that represented how long and cold the winter would be.

What is the Catholic origin of Groundhog Day? ›

The American tradition of Groundhog Day is actually based on a Catholic Candlemas tradition, dating back to the Middle Ages, “If Candlemas Day is clear and bright, winter will have another bite. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, winter is gone and will not come again.”

What is the spirituality of Groundhog Day? ›

The movie's idea of the cycle of growth that the TV personality goes through is regarded by some religious scholars as a corollary to Buddhism, as the film depicts the endless loop of death alongside consequent rebirth.

Is there any science behind Groundhog Day? ›

Furthermore, there may be a meteorological explanation for groundhog day. Some researchers believe that the observance may have roots in a weather phenomenon described in the Scottish poem below: If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, There'll be two winters in the year.

What is the average lifespan of a groundhog? ›

Males are typically larger than females. The average lifespan of a groundhog is 3 years.

Is Punxsutawney Phil a real groundhog? ›

Punxsutawney Phil (/ˌpʌŋksəˈtɔːni/) is a groundhog residing in Young Township near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, who is the central figure in Punxsutawney's annual Groundhog Day celebration.

How many years was Phil stuck in Groundhog Day? ›

Well, a film blog has worked it out for you: 33 years and 350 days. WhatCulture.com calculated just how long Phil Connors spent in limbo back in 2013 to mark the film's 20th anniversary. Amazingly, the time equates to repeating the same day a torturous 12,395 times.

What caused Phil to relive Groundhog Day? ›

To punish Connors for his hubris, Punxsutawney Phil summoned a freak storm to trap him in his domain, then looped time until Connors learned his lesson. Remember, it's not until Phil Connors delivers his sincere monologue on the beauty of Groundhog Day that his curse is lifted.

Is the old man in Groundhog Day Phil's dad? ›

Was the old man Phil's father? No. The man was simply a homeless man that Phil decided to help. Phil just affectionately called him "Dad" and "Pop".

What is the creature in Groundhog Day? ›

Groundhog Day, in the United States and Canada, day (February 2) on which the emergence of the groundhog (woodchuck) from its burrow is said to foretell the weather for the following six weeks.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Cheryll Lueilwitz

Last Updated:

Views: 5664

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (74 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Cheryll Lueilwitz

Birthday: 1997-12-23

Address: 4653 O'Kon Hill, Lake Juanstad, AR 65469

Phone: +494124489301

Job: Marketing Representative

Hobby: Reading, Ice skating, Foraging, BASE jumping, Hiking, Skateboarding, Kayaking

Introduction: My name is Cheryll Lueilwitz, I am a sparkling, clean, super, lucky, joyous, outstanding, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.