Chances are that you know the phrase 'Groundhog Day' from the time-loop comedy. But what's the meaning behind the phrase - and how can a rodent predict the weather?
Was Groundhog Day an expression before the movie?
The phrase ‘Groundhog Day’, which has come to describe a tedious, repetitive cycle of events, entered the language after the 1993 movie of the same name starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, in which a TV weatherman gets stuck in the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and finds himself in a time loop that makes every day the 2nd of February.
When is Groundhog Day?
Groundhog Day is celebrated on 2nd February.
What is Groundhog Day?
Groundhog Day is the day that towns in north-eastern USA and Canada awaken a hibernating groundhog (also known as a woodchuck) in order to predict the weather. In theory, if it casts a shadow, winter will continue for another six weeks. If is doesn’t, spring will arrive early.
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Why is Groundhog Day celebrated?
This tradition of Groundhog Day is thought to have its roots in European festivals such as the Christian Candlemas and Gaelic Imbolc, when signs of spring were sought in the behaviour of badgers, foxes, bears and hedgehogs. German-speaking immigrants to Pennsylvania brought it with them in the late 1800s, adapting it to the local fauna. The groundhog hibernates for as long as five and a half months. Going by the available statistics, it is not good at predicting the weather.
Who is Punxsutawney Phil?
Punxsutawney Phil is a particularly well-known groundhog who resides in Young Township near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, United States. He plays a starring role in the town's light-hearted Groundhog Day celebrations - which formally began in 1887.
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