In 1723, the Delaware Indians settled Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania as a
campsite halfway between the Allegheny and the Susquehanna Rivers. The
Delawares considered groundhogs honorable ancestors. According to the original
creation beliefs of the Delaware Indians, their forebears began life as
animals in "Mother Earth" and emerged centuries later to hunt and
live as men.
The name Punxsutawney comes from the Indian name for the location "ponksad-uteney"
which means "the town of the sandflies." The name woodchuck comes
from the Indian legend of "Wojak, the groundhog" considered by them
to be their ancestral grandfather.
When German settlers arrived in the 1700s, they brought a tradition known
as Candlemas Day. It came at the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the
Spring Equinox. Superstition held that if the weather was fair, the second
half of Winter would be stormy and cold. For the early Christians in Europe,
it was the custom on Candlemas Day for clergy to bless candles and distribute
them to the people in the dark of Winter. A lighted candle was placed in each
window of the home. The day's weather continued to be important. If the sun
came out February 2, halfway between Winter and Spring, it meant six more
weeks of wintry weather.
The earliest American reference to Groundhog Day can be found at the
Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center at Franklin and Marshall College:
February 4, 1841 - from Morgantown, Berks County (Pennsylvania) storekeeper
James Morris' diary..."Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day
on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter
quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap. But
if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate."
And so, the first real Groundhog Day celebration as we know it today was
held in 1886 in Punxsutawney. And from there, Phil was off and runningÉ
According to http://www.gojp.com/groundhog/,
"The ceremony in Punxsutawney was held in secret until 1966, and only
Phil's prediction was revealed to the public. Since then, Phil's fearless
forecast has been a national media event.
The groundhog comes out of his electrically heated burrow, looks for his
shadow and utters his prediction to a Groundhog Club representative in "groundhogese."
The representative then translates the prediction for the general public. If
Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, it means six more weeks of winter. If he
does not see his shadow, it means spring is just around the corner.
Approximately 90% of the time, Phil sees his shadow."
According to handler Bill Deeley, a local funeral director, 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 the heated
burrow underneath a simulated tree stump on stage before being pulled out at
7:25 a.m. to make his prediction.
No wonder he's a household name! He's been at political events, he's been
the star of a Hollywood movie, he's been on talk shows--Punxsutawney Phil is,
like, Jesse Ventura, only bigger! Thousands of people visit Punxsutawney to
participate in the observance of "his" day. The first observance was
February 2, 1886Ñand here are some of his better known escapades:
- During Prohibition, Phil threatened to impose 60 weeks of winter on the
community if he wasn't allowed a drink.
- In 1958 Phil announced that it was a "United States Chucknik,"
rather than a Soviet Sputnik or Muttnik that became the first man-made
satellite to orbit Earth.
- In 1981 Phil wore a yellow ribbon in honor of the American hostages in
Iran.
- Phil traveled to Washington DC in 1986 to meet with President Reagan.
- Phil met Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburg in 1987.
- In 1993, Columbia Pictures released the movie Groundhog Day starring
Bill Murray.
- Phil appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show in 1995.
