Punxsutawney Phil and Groundhog Day

Punxsutawney Phil is the time-honored groundhog who makes his prediction on how the remainder of the winter will go every February 2nd, better known as Groundhog Day. According to legend, there has only been one Punxsutawney Phil ever and he has been forecasting the end of winter sine 1887! That would mean this iconic rodent is at least 123 years old, though I will add that most zoologists say that a properly taken care of groundhog in captivity has a lifespan of about ten years, so I'll let you decide what you think of the legend.

Whether there has been only one or hundreds, Punxsutawney Phil is the focal point of the Groundhog Day Festival held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. We interpret his prediction based on what he does when he sees his shadow. If he sees it and crawls back in his hole, we are said to have a longer end to the winter, if he doesn't go back inside, winter will end quickly. The world renowned groundhog has drawn crowds of up to 40,000 into the small town. That may not seem so surprisingly large of a number when you realize that most people in America at least recognize Groundhog Day, but Punxsutawney only has a population of about 6,000 people! That means that a crowd of people(many of them in outlandish costumes) almost seven times larger than the town’s population collects there early in the morning to watch a groundhog crawl out of a hole!

Punxsutawney Phil obviously has a very large impact on the traditions in America, and has worked his way into modern popular culture as well. The movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray is set in Punxsutawney during the Groundhog Day festivities and MTV's show Viva la Bam has centered an episode around Phil’s special day too. He even has his own Beanie Baby depicting him in the iconic top hat and tie worn by the “Inner Circle” who is the group designated to look after Punxsutawney Phil. The cuddly character has also surely inspired quite a few Halloween costume ideas.

This prestigious rodent has been one of the most original parts of American culture for over a century, and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon. If you’re ever looking for a new cultural phenomenon to experience, going to see Punxsutawney Phil would surely be one to remember!