You may be familiar with the movie Groundhog Day. If so, you know that the title is not accidental but related to an American holiday of the same name. What is it, and why do they care? How and why is the festival celebrated?
When is Groundhog Day celebrated?
Groundhog Day is an American holiday celebrated on February 2 in the United States and Canada.
Why celebrate this unusual wild rodent festival? There’s more to it than just the animal. According to tradition, it is the first herald of spring. On Groundhog Day, it is called from its mink – if the animal sees its shadow (when the morning is sunny), it heralds another six weeks of winter. If he does not see it (when the weather is foggy or cloudy) – spring is fast approaching. These weather predictions are, of course, just folk superstition. In fact, they rarely come true.
Groundhog Day – what does it mean?
The custom of anticipating the arrival of spring came from Germany to the USA at the turn of the 17th and 19th centuries to the southeastern and central part of Pennsylvania. The genesis of this holiday comes from old European weather predictions, with the difference that the weatherman at that time was a badger or a holy bear.
The festival in the United States was first celebrated in 1887. Clymer H. Freas was the editor of the Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper at the time, and he promoted the local groundhog to national meteorologist. The groundhog from generation to generation is named Phil.
A famous film about Groundhog Day
In 1993 Harold Ramis directed the romantic comedy Groundhog Day, starring Bill Muray. I admit that until yesterday I had only heard about this movie. In the evening, however, I finally managed to watch it. It won’t knock you down, but it brought this holiday well. If you haven’t seen the movie, here’s the trailer below.
Today, devotees of the groundhog festival start the day early in the morning by luring the animal out of its burrow. In Southeast Pennsylvania, there are festivals with food and ceremonial speeches. Punxsutawney remains the place where the most boisterous celebrations take place.
Is Groundhog Day a national holiday?
No, it is not.
