Large parts of the US have just recovered from the frigid temperatures of recent weeks – and the world-famous marmot “Phil” is now giving the country hope that spring will soon arrive. On Friday, the 138th Groundhog Day, the rodent from the small town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, couldn’t see his shadow, a sign that the harsh winter will soon give way to a mild spring. Watch the entire ceremony in the video above!
Thousands cheered “Phil” in freezing temperatures after this prediction. The tradition calls for members of the Inner Circle of the Groundhog Club to remove the groundhog from its stump at dawn and question it.
‘Phil’ has been predicting the weather for 130 years
For more than 130 years, “Phil” was said to have always made correct predictions. The Groundhog Club explains that any discrepancy between the actual weather and Phil’s forecast is due to translation errors, not a faulty forecast. In fact, the groundhog is right less than half of the time: a coin toss would be a more accurate prediction.
The tradition, celebrated worldwide on February 2, was likely brought to Pennsylvania by German immigrants. She became best known for the 1993 Hollywood film ‘Groundhog Day’, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell.
Source: Krone
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