My boyhood home in the wilds of Western PA lies a few miles from Punxsutawney- a place that draws the media’s attention one day each year – this Thursday, on February 2nd.
The Meaning of Groundhog Day
Punxsutawney Phil, the “seer of seers and prognosticator of prognosticators,” is a groundhog resident of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, USA. On February 2, (Groundhog Day) of each year, the town of Punxsutawney celebrates the beloved groundhog with a festive atmosphere of music and food. During the ceremony, which begins well before the winter sunrise, Phil emerges from his temporary home on Gobbler’s Knob, located in a rural area about 2 miles east of town. According to the tradition, if Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, the United States will have six more weeks of winter. If Phil does not see his shadow, spring will arrive early. The date of Phil’s prognostication is known as Groundhog Day in the United States and Canada.