Groundhog day dates back to the mid 1800’s but the tradition actually goes back further. Europeans used to watch other hibernating animals to give them an indication of how much longer winter would last. They would watch badgers, bears, hedgehogs, and other animals in February since this is the midway point between the winter equinox and and spring solstice.

In the 1880s some friends in Punxsutawney, went into the woods on Candlemas Day to look for groundhogs. This outing became a tradition, and a local newspaper editor nicknamed the seekers “the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.” Starting in 1887 the search became an official event centered on a groundhog called Punxsutawney Phil.

Today Phil lives in a habitat next to the library. We even record Phil’s predictions in the Congressional Records of our National Archive. You may wonder why a groundhog instead of a different animal. I did not actually find any information on why they chose the groundhog. But the groundhog is an interesting rodent. Some little known facts about our friend are:

• They are also known as woodchucks
• They are good swimmers and climbers
• They are herbivores
• They love dandelions and clover
• They are the only animal to have their own national holiday

Canada’s Groundhog Day relies on the predictions of an albino groundhog named Wiarton Willie. Although Phil gets the most attention, other American cities have their own special groundhogs. For example, New York City’s official groundhog is called “Pothole Pete.”

Since Phil saw his shadow this morning, we should expect six more weeks of winter. However, an interesting fact is that Phil is only correct about 39% of the time.

Chia Pet Rescue