By: Julia Triculescu
You’ve probably heard of a holiday called Groundhog Day, when on February 2, a cute little rodent named Phil crawls out of his burrow to see if winter will last six weeks longer. But what about the history of the beloved holiday? What exactly is a groundhog? And most importantly, since when are rodents scared of their shadows? The first Groundhog Day was celebrated on February 2, 1887, in Gobbler’s Knob, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania (mouthful huh?). However, the tradition originated from an ancient Christian tradition called Candlemas. The clergy would bless and hand out candles to people for the winter. The candles distributed represented how long the winter would last. Then the Germans took this celebration and expanded on it by adding an animal to predict the weather, a hedgehog. Why? I dunno, I’m not German. Upon arriving in America, German immigrants switched from using hedgehogs as meteorologists to something MUCH more predictable, groundhogs. Then in 1887, a newspaper editor/groundhog hunter decided that a certain groundhog christened Phil was the only weather-forecasting groundhog in America. Thus was born the holiday of Groundhog Day. But what about the celebratory animal? Ask yourself, what do you know about the groundhog? Groundhogs, also called woodchucks and Marmota monax, weigh about 12 to 15 pounds and live up to eight years. Their diet consists of fruits and vegetables and when they are scared or looking for a mate, they whistle (yes, whistle). In late fall, groundhogs/ woodchucks/ Marmota monax begin to hibernate underground where their body temperature drops and their heartbeat slows from 80 to 5 beats per minute (a human’s heart beats about 60-90 times a minute!). In February, male groundhogs come out of hibernation to find a mate (not because it’s Groundhog Day and they have to predict the weather) and they go back into hibernation until they come out for good in March. A successful movie also popularized the holiday appropriately named, Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, and Chris Elliott. The movie was released in February of 1993 and immediately became an international hit. The plot follows Phil Connors, a weatherman covering Groundhog Day in its hometown. He becomes stuck in a loop, reliving February 2 over and over. This movie was super entertaining and funny too. However, due to cinematic elements, intense scenes, and some adult humor, it is rated PG. Don’t forget to ask your parents for permission before you watch it! Now you know a little more about the history behind a beloved American holiday, the animal that stars in it, and the movie that made Groundhog Day so well known. Don’t forget to share your new-found with friends and family! Unfortunately, something you and I will never know is why rodents are scared of their shadows! Happy Groundhog Day! Source: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-groundhog-day Comments are closed.
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