Punxsutawney Phil
Is No One-Shot Weather Forecaster
February has several minor
holidays - such as President’s Day and Valentine’s Day. It also has
that all-important Groundhog’s Day, celebrated on February 2. On
that day, the groundhog, well-known in the United States as
Punxsutawney Phil, comes out of hibernation to check whether or not
he can see his shadow, from which he predicts the coming of Spring.
This part has always confused me: is it good to see his shadow or
not?
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Publishers Donna and Ron Miller share the photo with
Punxsy Phil as the Statue of Liberty.
Old Stuff photo |
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We visited Punxsy Phil this
Fall. He was sleeping, but did wake up enough to open his eyes, look
at us, and turn around to go back to sleep. On the visit, we learned
that clouds are good; they mean that Spring is on its way. A clear
day indicates another six weeks of Winter, and Phil goes back to
sleep.
Groundhog’s Day was
originally known as Candlemas Day. I’ve always thought February 2
was a peculiar day to choose for anything to happen. However, it is
the midway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox,
so it is not a date that was just chosen at random.
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The stage at Gobbler’s Knob where Punxsy Phil does his
forecasting. He comes out of the little door in the big
tree trunk. Usually, about 30,000 people gather in the
amphitheater around the stage to celebrate his appearance.
Old Stuff photo |
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In Germany, the forecasting
was done by a hedgehog. A sign at Gobbler’s Knob, where Phil does
his predicting on February 2, explains that if the hedgehog came out
and saw his shadow, he would be frightened and run back underground
for six more weeks. If he saw no shadow, however, it was time to
stay above the ground for Spring was near. This folklore was
captured in the following verse:
“If Candlemas Day be sunny
and bright,
Winter will have another
flight.
If Candlemas Day be shower
and rain,
Winter is gone and will not
come again.”
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Even groundhogs must tire of their usual food. This
Punx-sutawney Phil has stopped for a fast-food bite at
McDonalds.
Old Stuff photo |
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This legend was brought to
Pennsylvania by early settlers from Germany, and the men of
Punxsutawney thought America should have a similar tradition.
Groundhogs being native to the area, Phil was substituted for the
hedgehog and Ground-hog’s Day was born. The first prediction was
held at Gobbler’s Knob in 1887.
The web site claims there has
been only one Phil for 120 years, and he gets his longevity from
drinking an “elixir of life,” a secret recipe from which he takes
one sip every summer at the Groundhog Picnic. Believe it or not! If
you want to know more about Punxsutawney Phil, check out
www.groundhog.org. Those in charge of Phil also maintain that he is
100 per cent accurate in his predictions!
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All dressed up, but where should he go? This Phil is found
in front of the Groundhog Zoo, wearing top hat and tails.
Old Stuff photo |
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The town itself is
entertaining to visit, with 36 statues of a groundhog dressed in 32
different kinds of wearing apparel throughout the main part of the
city. And, of course, there’s a visitor center with lots of choices
of souvenirs.
I’m sorry I can’t show you a
picture of Phil himself.
Old Stuff’s Leanne did her best with my
photograph, but a sleepy brown groundhog, lying in a bed of brown
wood chips and brown leaves, and taken through the glass window of
his Groundhog Zoo, despite all the enhancements of Photoshop,
remained nothing but a blur.
Donna Miller
Note: Punxsutawney is
located in northwestern Pennsylvania, in an area occupied by members
of the Delaware and Seneca tribes. The area had an abundance of sand
flies, called ponkies to the Native Americans. The earliest name was
Ponksutenink, “town of the sand flies.” The first settlers, who
arrived in 1814, adapted the name to Punxsutawney.
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