"PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. It's already been a long, cold winter across much of the United States, and on Monday, Punxsutawney Phil's handlers will announce whether the weather-predicting groundhog says there's more of the same to come. When Phil is said to have seen his shadow upon emergence from a tree stump in rural Pennsylvania, that's considered a forecast for six more weeks of winter."
"Phil isn't the only animal being consulted for long-term weather forecasts Monday. There are formal and informal Groundhog Day events in many places in the U.S., Canada and beyond. Groundhog Day falls on Feb. 2, the midpoint between the shortest, darkest day of the year on the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It's a time of year that also figures in the Celtic calendar and the Christian holiday of Candlemas."
Many parts of the United States experienced a long, cold winter leading into Groundhog Day. Punxsutawney Phil's handlers announce on Feb. 2 whether the groundhog saw its shadow; seeing a shadow signals six more weeks of winter, while no shadow signals an early spring. Tens of thousands of people attend the ritual at Gobbler's Knob, a tradition with ties to ancient European farming customs. The event grew in prominence after the 1993 film Groundhog Day. Handlers interpret Phil's "groundhogese" of winks, purrs, chatters and nods. Similar formal and informal events occur across the U.S., Canada and beyond. Groundhog Day falls between the winter solstice and spring equinox and aligns with Celtic and Candlemas calendars.
Read at www.npr.org
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