Groundhog Day, February 2nd, is a fun holiday in the United States. Punxsutawney Phil, Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell star in Groundhog Day, the 1993 movie. Phil comes out of his hole after a deep sleep to see his shadow. Six more weeks of winter, or an early spring? You'll have to wait until February 2nd to find out what Punxsutawney Phil says!
Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil: Fact or Fiction?
If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, it'll be six more weeks of winter or bad weather and he climbs back in his hole. If the day is cloudy and he doesn't see his shadow, he figures spring is coming and stays above ground. Not very scientific, but it certainly is a lot of fun. And the town of Punxsutawney really gets into the celebration in a very big way. Normally a town of only 6700 people, the crowd swells to approximately 40,000 for the festivities on Groundhog Day. For more information and directions to Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, go to http://www.groundhog.org.
Where Did Groundhog Day Come From?
According to Wikipedia, "The holiday, which began as a Pennsylvania German custom in southeastern and central Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries, has its origins in ancient European weather lore, wherein a badger or sacred bear is the prognosticator as opposed to a groundhog. The holiday also bears some similarities to the medieval Catholic holiday of Candlemas. It also bears similarities to the Pagan festival of Imbolc, the seasonal turning point of the Celtic calendar, which is celebrated on February 1 and also involves weather prognostication."
Interesting Groundhog Day FAQ's
- Punxsutawney held its first Groundhog Day in the 1800’s. The first official trek to Gobbler’s Knob made on February 2nd, 1887. In 2010 it will be the 124th prediction.
- How accurate are the predictions? "Groundhog Day proponents state that the rodents' forecasts are accurate 75% to 90%. A Canadian study for 13 cities in the past 30 to 40 years puts success rate level at 37%. Also, the National Climatic Data Center reportedly has stated that the overall predictions accuracy rate is around 39%," says The Canadian Encyclopedia.
- The groundhog, also known as a woodchuck (Marmota monax), is a member of the squirrel family. Groundhogs in the wild eat succulent green plants, such as dandelion, clover, and grasses.
- According to handlers John Griffiths and Ben Hughes, Phil weighs 15 pounds and thrives on dog food and ice cream in his climate-controlled home at the Punxsutawney Library.
- Up on Gobbler's Knob, Phil is placed in a heated burrow underneath a simulated tree stump on stage before being pulled out at 7:25 a.m. to make his prediction.
Groundhog Day (1993), Starring Bill Murry and Andie MacDowell
Groundhog Day, the movie, was made in 1993. It's the story of Phil Connors, a miserable weatherman stuck in a boring job. He goes to Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney Pennsylvania to take part in the Groundhog Day festivities and gets stuck in a time loop where Groundhog Day, February 2nd, keeps playing over and over again. Every night he goes to sleep thinking when he wakes, it'll be February 3rd, but the clock radio on the nightstand reminds him it's Groundhog Day once again. This goes on for days, weeks, months, all the while trying to kill himself in every imaginable way, to escape Groundhog Day once more. We won't spoil the rest of the story for you, but if you haven't seen it yet, it's definitely worth watching.
Groundhog Day Cast
Director: Harold Ramis
Bill Murray: Phil Connors
Andie MacDowell: Rita
Chris Elliott: Larry
Stephen Tobolowsky: Ned Ryerson
Groundhog Day Movie Quotes
Phil: Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today.
Phil Connors: Excuse me, where is everybody going?
Fan on Street: To Gobbler's Knob. It's Groundhog Day.
Phil Connors: It's still just once a year, isn't it?
Rita: I like to see a man of advancing years throwing caution to the wind. It's inspiring in a way.
Phil: My years are not advancing as fast as you might think.
Phil: You want a prediction about the weather, you're asking the wrong Phil. I'll give you a winter prediction: It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life.
Phil: It's the same thing your whole life: "Clean up your room. Stand up straight. Pick up your feet. Take it like a man. Be nice to your sister. Don't mix beer and wine, ever." Oh yeah: "Don't drive on the railroad track."
Gus: Well, Phil, that's one I happen to agree with.
Mrs. Lancaster: Will you be checking out today, Mr. Connors?
Phil: Chance of departure today: one hundred percent!
Phil Connors: This is pitiful. A thousand people freezing their butts off waiting to worship a rat. What a hype. Groundhog Day used to mean
something in this town. They used to pull the hog out, and they used to eat it. You're hypocrites, all of you!
Written by Donna Diegel
HULIQ.com
Sources: groundhog.org; imdb.com; stormfax.com; wikipedia.com
Photo: amazon.com
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