Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, Wednesday during the 136th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa. SHAPIRO: The Bill Murray comedy about a weatherman who lives the same day over and over has had staying power. All rights reserved (About Us). But woolly bear caterpillars arent the best prognosticators, either: While their bands may vary from year to year, researchers have found the variation is due to last years weather, not the upcoming winter. When German immigrants settled Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries, they brought the custom with them, choosing the native groundhog as the annual forecaster. To this. NmM2N2UxN2ViYWQ3NTQ1MDQ0ZWMzNGMzM2EzZjI1Y2RmZjVkZjE5YmUxNmZi The holiday isadapted from theEuropeantraditionof Candlemas Day. ZjA0ODk0ZTcwNDhmODcwMDZlNTdmMzBiYzhiZDM1NjE0ZmQxNTFmNjY5ODdm Groundhog Club handler A.J. Welcome. This classic movie, where Bill Murray's. The groundhog tradition is thought to have originated in the 1800s and over time has become a staple in America's culture. SHAPIRO: Stop me if you've heard this one before. Use all of your sensess mell, touch, taste, and listen. Held every year on February 2, Groundhog Day is a unique U.S. celebration in which people turn to these mammals to predict the weather: If the groundhog sees its shadow on that day, lore has it there will be six more weeks of winter. Here's what we know: Late the night before, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club brings the groundhog to Gobbler's Knob so he can. That is, how good is Phil, really? But what else is there to know about these annual celebrities? True Facts About the Groundhog. Fish out that woodchuck (keep the liquid) and remove the meat from the bones. All rights reserved. If you believe Wordfence should be allowing you access to this site, please let them know using the steps below so they can investigate why this is happening. To accommodate its large appetite, woodchucks grow upper and lower incisors that can withstand wear and tear because they grow about a sixteenth of an inch each week, according to NWF. The day after Storm Betty had wreaked havoc across Ireland, in the balmy late August sunshine it was left to Andy Farrell's side to inflict severe damage on England's unravelling plans. Punxsutawney Phil, the other star of the movie, is the most famous groundhog forecaster, but how does he, and his peers, foresee the weather to come? 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Accuracy and availability may vary. On that first fateful day, the Punxsutawney Spirit noted that Today is groundhog day, and up to the time of going to press, the beast has not seen his shadow.. Other sources claim it's a bastardization of the Cree word otchek for "fisher" or the Ojibwe ojiig, also for "fisher" or "marten," which Europeans appropriated and misapplied to the groundhog. Groundhogs fatten themselves up in the fall before they lay down for a long winters sleep. Stormfax, an independent almanac that has been tracking the results of Groundhog Day events since 1887, claims that Phil is right just 39% of the time. In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, every February 2 people gather at Gobbler's Knob to see if Phil will see his shadow. ZmNiODEyODMwNDA0ZWVkOGFmYWM5NWM2MjlkMGM4Y2U2MTlmNmFlYWFhMTkz YTk1Mzc3ZjhlMGM2NTIwNjk2M2Q4YmQxNGEwYjVhMjc1YzMzZmY3YThiNzYw Groundhog Day, explained:Can a rodent predict the weather better than a meteorologist can? Phil emerges from his burrow every year on February 2, hence the name Groundhog Day. Our teacher team put together a quick refresher just in case! Groundhogs are known as "true hibernators," going into a dormant statein which their body temperature and heart rate fall dramaticallyfrom late fall until late winter or early spring. After he comes out into the early morning light, the Groundhog Club president listens close and translates Phil's forecast from Groundhogese to English. Groundhogs hibernate from late fall for roughly three months, then wake up when it's still quite cold. All Rights Reserved. Groundhogs are known to burrow in fields and pastures, along fences and roadsides, and near building foundations or the bases of trees, leaving mounds of soil at the dig site. Groundhog Day is an example of predicting the weather based on folklore. "Any of the true hibernators can [also] reduce their heart rate down to about five beats a minute, and their body temperature can go as low as [41 degrees Fahrenheit]," he adds. NTRjNDMwYWRmYmEyMjM2YWU4NGIxNDc5YmQ4MjBiNjg5ZmViZGE4MThhMzIz [citation needed] The director Harold Ramis didn't intend for his movie Groundhog Day to be heralded by religious thinkers as an example of how to live life, but that's exactly what happened after it was released in 1993. If it's sunny and he sees his shadow, it's said we'll see . MURRAY: (As Phil) It's February 2, Groundhog Day. "Bears, for example, only drop their body temp to 30 degrees from 37 degrees Celsius [86 from 98.7 degrees Fahrenheit]. Other Names for Groundhogs Groundhog vs Beaver Groundhog vs Gopher Groundhog vs Woodchuck Why You Don't Want Them Around Burrows and Structural Damage Destruction of Gardens Getting Rid of Groundhogs Relocation How to Trap a Groundhog Why We're Against Killing Groundhogs Groundhog Deterrents Groundhog Day 2023 is Thursday, Feb. 2. But why do we care, and does this holiday have anything to do with time travel? According to the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), a groundhog may pack in more than a pound of vegetation at one sitting during the warm season. The statistical probability of getting a coin toss right is 50 percent. WILLIAMS: I feel it's so resonant right now because I look around me and everything I see or read seems to be about maximizing your time and maximizing your efficiency. ODI4MzYwOTE3MDVmNzBmYjg0ODY5ZGFlZGNmNTQwMTk5MzI1NGZmNzE0MTFl Groundhogs (Marmota monax) are a type of rodent known as a marmot, and marmots are closely related to squirrels. On this day, candles that are used for the rest of the year are blessed. Heres how wildfires get startedand how to stop them, Video Story, Sharing Nkashi: Race for the Okavango, Video Story, Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Punxsutawney Phil has issued his verdict this #GroundhogDay.More on Phil and his forecasting predictions: https://t.co/fWEWX7XjOZ#StatsForStories pic.twitter.com/j1EugKwYFf. The beginning of February, which falls roughly halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, has long been a significant time of the year . How it wound up being the groundhogs responsibility in the U.S. may have been a bit of a fluke. NmUxYmU2MDY1ZDkzNzYyZmNkNzFkYzg4NjA5OWNlM2YwOWUwNWMzYjIzNzky If Phil sees his shadow, he predicts six more weeks of winter. It has a bushy tail up to 7 inches long. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Undoubtedly, the celebrations in Punxsutawney involve the most pomp and circumstance. Surprisingly, the name woodchuck doesn't have anything to do with wood. Imagine that . These natural substances are a great deterrent when planted in your garden or sprinkled around plants you want to protect from nibbling groundhogs. If it does not see its shadow, spring will arrive early. There are three transformative principles at its heart. It is not a federal holiday, meaning banks, mail services, trash services, schools, grocery stores, federal offices, local governments, libraries and stock markets will be open. He has seen his shadow the most, as he has predicted a longer winter 107(84%) times. How does Groundhog Day work? on What is Groundhog Day and do the forecasts work. (James Robinson | jrobinson@pennlive.com). MTZhMGMwMzhlMmM2ZDg5NjNiYTc1NWFkYmQ0NjliZGMyZjc4MTRiNzkyMDA3 Dig into the history of these household items and you'll find some surprisesfrom moon metals to the extract of Tibetan lakes. NDkyMWRiYmJjZTQ0ZmQyNjZhYjA0YTQxNGRjMTlhMjY1MjdjMGY5OWNlMDAw Of course, after Feb. 2, there are only 47 days left of astronomical winter which ends on or about March 21. If Phil doesn't see his shadow, he predicts an early spring. Have a tip? This is also about the mid-point in winter, in meteorological not astronomical terms. Philosophy classes include "Groundhog Day" in their syllabus. According to the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau and the Punxsutawney Area Chamber of Commerce, Groundhog Day rakes in over $1 million every year. Generated by Wordfence at Tue, 22 Aug 2023 13:10:07 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString());. Those impressive tunneling skills make for great burrows, but they can also mean big headaches for those who work in agriculture. "The mother nurses the young, and then shortly after theyre weaned, they tend to go off on their own. The young stay with the mother for two to three months. [They're] about as asocial as you can get," says Thorington. All rights reserved, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Habitat: Groundhogs are most commonly found along forest edges, meadows, open fields, roads and streams. The roots of Groundhog Day date back to the 6th century. Punxsutawney Phil is perhaps the world's most famous forecaster, but much ofhis process remains a mystery. Geography: Groundhogs are found from the eastern and central United States northward across Canada and into Alaska. Published 10th Jan 2022, 14:10 BST Updated 2nd Feb 2022, 20:15 BST The Bill Murray comedy film has become a classic since it was released in 1993. Explore Groundhog Day's shadowy history as well as interesting facts about the custom. Some of our favorites include Nova Scotia native Shubenacadie Sam, who, being so far east, gets to make the days first prediction; Wiarton Willie, an albino groundhog from Ontario; and Staten Island Chuck, who first rose to notoriety in 2009 when he bit then-New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and, later, made scandalous headlines again when Mayor Bill de Blasio dropped the critter. But I've also found that you can watch it at different times in your life and see different things in it. I had metastatic cancer and I still spend way too much time looking at Instagram. If Philsees his shadow, there are six more weeks of winter. Antifreeze in ice cream? The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. That's what I learned in having a little bit of time, and that's what I think Phil learns in having a lot of time. Once German settlers came to the U.S., they continued the tradition, but decided to use groundhogs instead of hedgehogs. Habits. Last year he got it half right when he predicted six more weeks of winter, even though the it was quite cloudy with a fair amount of snow falling. Falling midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, February 2 is a significant day in several ancient and modern traditions. As for accuracy the predictions made by the various rodents involved in this annual event are correct about 40 percent of the time vastly inferior to what is delivered by modern science. MWNlNWRlOWIzYmM5ZDFkOGIwYTgwMGY3NTk0Yzc0NmVhYjE4Y2U1NTlkN2Ux The lengths of the candles represented how warm or cold winter would be. What is Gullah Geechee food and how do you make it? Do this day after day until they flee. How much protein do you actually need? NjM2MDU0YTNiMzM3MmU1YTdhMjJiM2U1MzMzMjBjMjcxNjFkZmVhNDRjMjUx The first official Groundhog Day celebration took place on February 2, 1887, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. What Is Groundhog Day and Why Do We Care? "Through the week, we probably get 8,000 to 10,000 people up there. Threats: Groundhogs are preyed upon by several animals, such as wolves, coyotes, dogs, foxes, bobcats, lynxes and black bears. While sunny winter days are indeed associated with colder, drier air, we probably shouldnt trade in our meteorologists for groundhogs just yet. BILL MURRAY: (As Phil) It's February 2, Groundhog Day. This is possible due to all the energy saved by the lower metabolism. ODcwOTcyYWZjNDhjMzI4M2QwZmFmMDUzYmUzZGZhOWQwMjc3YTZkZGUwMTli Order: | Rodentia (See "Video: Why do prairie dogs do the wave?"). Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 7/1/2023). Well, if a prediction is wrong, it was clearly the person in charge of translating Phils Groundhogese, not Phil himself, who messed up. Its members wear top hats and conduct the official proceedings in the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect. But this lighthearted suspension of disbelief isnt contained to Pennsylvania. The little-known shipwreck that inspired Bram Stokers Dracula, Reconstructing the face of a 700-year-old murder victim, Dissecting the Dome of the Rocks centuries of history, An unprecedented look inside Jerusalems Dome of the Rock, Alcohol is killing more women than ever before, Volcanoes dont erupt on schedulebut they have been in Iceland, Heres what happens to your eyes if you look directly at the sun. With Trump out, which Republican candidates will participate in the first GOP debate? WILLIAMS: Well, I think it's pretty great because it implies that there is something beyond the teachings of any one particular faith or philosophy, that this is a deeply humane film, that this is really a story of humanity and the story of the big questions we ask about what we're doing with our time. NWMxNzE3Njc3MzA4MzQxMTI3MzRiNTg4YjBkYTM5OGY2ZDc0MDg5N2RjMDg4 The men trekked to a site called Gobblers Knob, where the inaugural groundhog became the bearer of bad news when he saw his shadow. YjE1Zjk3ZjZiMjBhNDYzYjBiYWQ5M2YwNzUxYWNmMTdhYWI0ZTAxZWRlZGQz So how much wood could a woodchuck chuck? Photo Courtesy: Jeff Swensen/Getty Images Punxsutawney Phil is a groundhog who lives in Pennsylvania. MzA5MGVjNzQyZjRhNjRhZjA3YzRhYmNhMDNkOGU4NWUyMGYwNjhhYmQ4ZWYx The earliest recorded mention of this come from the Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper from 1886, which read: up to the time of going to press, the beast has not seen its shadow. However, the first official Groundhog Day celebration was the following year. Phil and his wife Phyliss, who call the Punxsutawney Memorial Library home, are the biggest burrowing celebs so much so that Phil sips an eternal life-giving elixir to stay youthful. While another long winter prediction may be all doom and gloom, that annual boost to the local economy is certainly something to smile about. There have been other memorable mishaps that have made national headlines such as Jimmy in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin in 2015. The first Groundhog Day took place Feb. 2, 1887, at Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., according to History.com. This story has been updated. You can actually hear it. More impartial sources boast that Phil has been right 50% of the time over the last decade, with the groundhogs total accuracy ranging between 35% and 40%. It's simple: If Phil sees his shadow, he predicts six more weeks of winter. Festivities to celebrate the national treasure occur annually Feb. 2 in Punxsutawney, with talent shows, banquets and . Family: | Sciuridae But it turns out they have a very good reason to drag . In Germany, tradition involved waking up a badger and seeingwhether it would crawl back into its burrow as a sign of bad weather ahead. Observed on February 2, the holiday involves watching a rodent pop its head out of the ground and predicting the weather based on that. To get rid of groundhogs in your garden, crush some garlic and pepper and throw it into their burrows. Groundhog Day, in the United States and Canada, day (February 2) on which the emergence of the groundhog ( woodchuck) from its burrow is said to foretell the weather for the following six weeks. Activate your account. There was even a Broadway adaptation - "Groundhog Day: The Musical. (According to legend, Punxsutawney Phil is more than 125 years old thanks to the magical punch he imbibes every summer.). Tell us at nj.com/tips. How to survive an encounter with wildlifefrom bears to bison, How Niassa Special Reserve gives locals a stake in its success, Hippo deaths are up in Ugandas national parks, U.S. to protect 1 million acres of sacred land near Grand Canyon, Is it a rescue or stealing? WILLIAMS: Yeah. It's OK. We know you've got a lot on your plate! 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. In some cases, groundhogs have more than one residence and move from one burrow to another. The official start of spring is 20 March, but the weather doesnt always follow the celestial calendar. Groundhogs are primarily active during daylight hours, usually feeding in the early morning. Harold Ramis ' 1993 film, Groundhog Day, is a charming and heartwarming comedy about an arrogant egotistical weatherman named Phil Connors ( Bill Murray) who has a change of heart over the. UNIDENTIFIED ACTORS: (As characters, singing) If I had my time again, I'd open all the doors I never looked behind before and SHAPIRO: Mary Elizabeth Williams has written about why this movie struck a chord, and she has a new article about it in Salon. "[Groundhogs are] the most widely distributed marmot of all of them, [with a range stretching] as far south as northern Alabama to northern Canadaand some are even found in Alaska," says Stam Zervanos, retired professor of biology at Pennsylvania State University in Reading, who's conducted extensive research on groundhogs. Here's are all of his results since 1887: Here are the past 10 predictions made byPunxsutawney Phil: Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter:@jordan_mendoza5. How often do women giving birth at individual hospitals experience heart attacks, seizures, kidney failure, blood transfusions or other potentially deadly problems?
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