The US is facing another six weeks of winter weather – if the prediction of Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most famous marmot, is to be believed. On the annual “Groundhog Day,” the furry rodent was pulled from its stump near the Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney at dawn on Thursday to announce his prophecy to thousands of fans.
Phil then saw his own shadow, according to the organizers, dressed in black coats and top hats. According to tradition, that means another six weeks of winter, as the members of the ‘inner circle’ announced at Gobbler’s Knob, the home of the marmot. According to tradition, spring is about to start early if the marmot does not see its shadow.
The “inner circle” consists of a group of local dignitaries who are responsible for planning the events as well as feeding and caring for Phil himself. This year, his prediction came during a week of chaos of ice, sleet and snow across much of the southern United States.
Predictions often don’t come true
In general, however, the adorable rodent has only very limited talent for meteorological forecasting: According to the US climate agency NOAA, Punxsutawney Phil was right only 40 percent of the time over the past ten years.
The “Groundhog Day” on February 2 each year has a long tradition in the US. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club has been around since 1887. According to records, the groundhogs, known as Phil, have predicted winter more than a hundred times since then. According to the organizers, ten years were lost because no records were kept.
The custom goes back to German immigrants who wanted to draw conclusions from the behavior of marmots when sowing began. Like Lostag, February 2, popularly known as Candlemas, is associated with a variety of customs related to light and the lengthening days.
“And every day the marmot says hello”
The Pennsylvania tradition gained international fame with the 1993 comedy Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. Murray plays a weather presenter caught in a time warp who keeps waking up on Groundhog Day.
Source: Krone
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