Candles, hedgehogs and Germans

On Feb. 2, the famous meteorologist groundhog Punxsutawney Phil will make his annual appearance, predicting either six more weeks of winter or an early spring. Thousands (yes, thousands) of people will flock to Gobbler’s Knob, a small park in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to see if a groundhog has a shadow. No matter how silly it may seem, the event has turned into a national holiday and a much loved tradition. 

But when did Americans start trusting a small rodent to predict the weather in the first place?

Oddly enough, to find the answer, we must leave America and travel back in time to Europe and the celebration of Candlemas Day. Candlemas was an old Christian holiday where clergy would bless and distribute candles to their parishioners. They believed this would bring safety and blessings to their households throughout the remainder of the cold and often dangerous winter. As time passed, the holiday evolved to include weather prediction. Folksongs and tales began to say that if Candlemas fell on a fair day, then winter would continue. However, if the day brought rain and clouds, it was a sign of an early spring.  

It wasn't until the Germans put their own spin on the celebration of Candlemas that an animal became associated with the holiday. However, it was not a groundhog. Somewhere along the way, German lore began to associate a hedgehog's shadow with the prediction of an approaching spring or extended winter. When German immigrants came to the United States, there were no hedgehogs. So, they turned to the closest thing they could find in their new surroundings. They decided to use, you guessed it, a groundhog! Thus, Groundhog Day was born. 

The first official record of Groundhog Day is found in the Punxsutawney newspaper, The Spirit, in 1886. It printed an article that mentioned the observance of Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney. The next year, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club (Yes, it is a real thing and it is still in existence.) hosted the first official celebration in Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania in 1887. Afterwards, the editor of The Spirit declared that their groundhog was the official weather-predicting groundhog. And, it obviously stuck. Today, Phil’s descendants continue to faithfully tell Americans whether they can expect an early spring, or six more weeks of winter. 

If you would like to learn more about Groundhog Day, check out the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s website, groundhog.org. 

By Hannah Olin