--- title: Groundhog Day 2024: The Tradition's Surprising History description: Groundhog Day, celebrated annually on February 2, originally featured a different animal. Here's what to know. canonical: https://time.com/4650202/groundhog-day-history-2/ author: Abigail Abrams article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-01-31T14:30:58.000Z article:modified_time: 2024-02-02T15:39:54.000Z article:section: History og:title: The Surprising History Behind Groundhog Day og:description: Groundhog Day, celebrated annually on February 2, originally featured a different animal. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=9a9f69b3-1da8-4adf-aad2-8e4212d28299&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) * TIME Subscriptions: [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=9a9f69b3-1da8-4adf-aad2-8e4212d28299&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Groundhog Day 2024: Punxsutawney Phil Predicts an Early Spring [Watch (HLS stream): Groundhog Day 2024: Punxsutawney Phil Predicts an Early Spring](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ufZYhtmV.m3u8) (2:02)  _Published 2024-02-02. Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring Friday in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania, the scene of the country’s largest and best known Groundhog Day celebration in the United States._ by [Abigail Abrams](https://time.com/author/abigail-abrams/) and [Mallory Moench](https://time.com/author/mallory-moench/) Updated: Feb 2, 2024 3:39 PM UTCPublished: Jan 31, 2017 2:30 PM UTC by [Abigail Abrams](https://time.com/author/abigail-abrams/) and [Mallory Moench](https://time.com/author/mallory-moench/) Updated: Feb 2, 2024 3:39 PM UTCPublished: Jan 31, 2017 2:30 PM UTC To the unfamiliar, Groundhog Day is perhaps one of America’s quirkiest traditions. Every Feb. 2, people wait for a large, furry rodent to see his shadow, and then predict the weather based on the animal’s actions. This year, Punxsutawney Phil[ did _not_ see his shadow](https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/02/weather/groundhog-day-winter-spring-climate/index.html), citing calls of an early spring. But the winter holiday has a long history rooted in everything from early Christian traditions in Europe to 19th century American newspapers. Here is everything you need to know about how Groundhog Day got its start. The idea of Groundhog Day comes from an ancient Christian celebration known as Candlemas Day, which marked the midpoint between the [winter solstice](https://time.com/6549878/winter-solstice-time-date-history/) and the spring equinox, according to the [National Centers for Environmental Information](https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/customer-support/education-resources/groundhog-day). On Candlemas Day, clergy would bless candles needed for winter and distribute them to the people, the [Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s website](http://www.groundhog.org/about/history/) says. Superstition held that if the day was sunny and clear, people could expect a long, rough winter, but if the sky was cloudy, warm weather would arrive soon. The Germans then expanded on this tradition, introducing the hedgehog to the mix. They believed, according to the Groundhog Day website, that if the sun appeared and the hedgehog saw his shadow, there would be six more weeks of bad weather, or a “Second Winter.” ## Groundhog Day in the United States Many of Pennsylvania’s early settlers were German, and they brought this tradition with them, switching the hedgehog for the groundhog, which could be more easily found in their new home, according to the Punxsutawney site. Groundhogs, [also called woodchucks, are large relatives of squirrels](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/groundhog) who hibernate during the winter in burrows, inspiring the seasonal tradition. In 1886, [the Punxsutawney _Spirit_](http://www.punxsutawneyspirit.com/) newspaper printed the first news of a Groundhog Day observance. The next year, everything fell into place. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club celebrated for the first time at Gobbler’s Knob, according to [History.com](http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-groundhog-day), and the newspaper’s editor declared that Phil, the Punxsutawney groundhog, was America’s official weather-forecasting groundhog. ## What Groundhog Day is like today Since then, the tradition has grown in popularity, boosted by Bill Murray’s 1993 hit movie _Groundhog Day_, with many other cities across the country holding their own celebrations. But none are as elaborate as the one that takes place at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania every Feb. 2\. This year is Punxsutawney Phil’s (or rather his descendant’s) 137th prediction. Tens of thousands of visitors show up for the event each year, with parties and performances in the night hours before Phil emerges at sunrise, according to the official website. A [live stream](http://www.visitpa.com/articles/groundhog-day) of the prediction ensures everyone can observe. Although an undoubtedly fun tradition, the [National Centers for Environmental Information](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/groundhog-day-forecasts-and-climate-history) calculated in 2023 that Phil’s predictions were on average only accurate 40% of the time over the past 10 years. ## Transcript What Champions do? It's Punxsutawney Phil. Hear ye hear ye now on this February 2nd Punxsutawney Phil. The Sears Sears prognosticator of all prognosticators was awakened from his wintry nap at dawn gobblers, Knob Hill look to the skies and then speaking in groundhogese directed the president to the proper scroll which reads Another winter Slumber pause so I could meet the crowd hard to sleep. Anyway, when the parties this loud. I envy your energy I envy the fun. I envy all of you and your opposable thumbs. But it's not what I feel. It's what I see and what you hear so gather round and let me be clear. Atmosphere is a wonderful thing and we can create our own and the weather it brings. It brings hope for the future and so much more maybe some Punxsutawney Phil write-in votes in 2024. But what this weather did not provide is a shadow or Reason to hide Glad Tidings on this Groundhog Day in early spring is on the way. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4650202/groundhog-day-history-2/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4650202/groundhog-day-history-2/"},"headline":"The Surprising History Behind Groundhog Day","datePublished":"2017-01-31T14:30:58.000Z","dateModified":"2024-02-02T15:39:54.000Z","description":"Groundhog Day, celebrated annually on February 2, originally featured a different animal. 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