The Legend of Groundhog Day {Insp}

"The Legend of Groundhog Day"

Groundhog Day was founded in the traditions of
the Romans, who carried the myth to the Germans
during Roman invasions many centuries ago. The
story was also based on this Scottish couplet:
"If Candlemas Day is bright and clear,
There'll be two winters in the year."

Candlemas Day is celebrated on February 2nd. It
was determined that if any animal came out of its
underground hibernation on that day, and the sun
was out, there would be six more weeks of winter.
Thus was born the tradition of the "two winters" or
the "second winter."

What began as a tale from ancient times, became
fact in the early 1880s. A group of residents from
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania decided to celebrate
Candlemas Day by going to the woods in search
of a groundhog.

In 1886, the editor of the local newspaper named
the group the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. The
Club deemed a certain hilltop near the town as
"Gobbler's Knob" proclaiming that, from this knob,
Punxsutawney Phil could accurately forecast the
weather.

On February 2, 1887, the first official trek to Gobbler's
Knob was made and Punxsutawney Phil gave his first
official weather forecast. From this beginning, the
Punxsutawney Groundhog rose to fame throughout
the world. Known as the "Seer of Seers", Punxsutawney
Phil's forecasts on February 2nd are recorded in the
Congressional Records held in the National Archives
and the Library of Congress in our Nation's capitol.

As news coverage of Punxsutawney Phil's forecasts
became more widespread, so did interest in the legend.
In July of 1966, Gobbler's Knob was officially opened
year-round to the public. In 1986, Punxsutawney Phil
and members of the Groundhog Club journeyed to
Washington D.C. to visit President Ronald Reagan
at the White House. In 1990, the movie "Groundhog Day,"
starring Bill Murray, became a smash hit at theaters.

Today, the popularity of Groundhog Day continues
to grow. As February 2nd approaches each year, the
town of Punxsutawney comes alive with special
events, celebrations, and fun as thousands of visitors
come to enjoy the annual trek to see Punxsutawney
Phil proclaim his forecast.
Received on Sun Feb 5 01:22:11 2006