MIAMI.- How many more weeks of winter will we have to endure? You have the answer, Groundhog Phil. This furry animal will come out again on February 2 to, in the presence of believers, predict the number of remaining weeks in which the cold will prevail.
Every February 2nd, the Groundhog Day, an original celebration of Europa which over time reached Canada and the United States. Tradition indicates that if this curious animal sees its shadow, there will be at least six more weeks of winter, if it does not, winter will arrive without setbacks.
In 2023, Phil the groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter when he came out of his shelter after seven-thirty in the morning (Pennsylvania local time) and saw his shadow, which means that winter will be longer.
In 2022 he also predicted that winter would be prolonged. And what’s more, this event coincided with the sad death of the New Jersey groundhog, Milltown Mel, just the night before he had to go out to predict the weather.
As the story goes, during the Candlemas dayChristians attended church with candles to bless them and pray that their homes would be protected from the scourges of winter.
Over the years, the tradition changed and the day began to be used to make projections about the weather, specifically about low temperatures. Later, in Germany, a hedgehog was introduced to the aforementioned tradition, who through his shadow would tell how much winter or bad weather they would have.
The web portal International Dayreveals that it was the German community who carried the tradition with them to the United States and Canada, but replaced the hedgehog with a hibernating animal, the marmot.
Over the years, Groundhog Day is celebrated every February 2nd.
Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
Each state in the US has its own groundhog for the celebration, however, one of the most popular places is the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, a place that has maintained the tradition since 1887 and where the groundhog they consider official, Punxsutawney Phil, lives.
Believers and travelers come from all over the country to witness his emergence from the burrow, an event that is broadcast through streaming platforms due to its great relevance.
Source: WRITING
