Groundhog Day & Punxsutawney Phil: Facts Behind Forecast
Ancient origins, interspecies texting, and an "immortal" rodent.
(Related: "Groundhog Sees More Winter Ahead" [2006].)
"Groundhog Day is a lot like a rock concert but the people are better behaved and there's a groundhog involved," said Tom Chapin, editor of the Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper.
"There's music and entertainment, spoofs of game shows, and people shooting t-shirts and Beanie Babies" into the crowd, he said.
Tradition has it that if Punxsutawney Phil emerges from his temporary burrow—a simulated tree stump at the rural site of Gobbler's Knob—on February 2 and sees his shadow, winter weather will continue for six more weeks across the United States. But if Phil doesn't see his shadow, then spring temperatures are just around the corner. (See
