Have you watched "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray? In this romantic comedy, Bill Murray plays a weatherman on TV from Pittsburgh who is very self-centered and doesn't care much about anyone else. As he does every year on February 2, he goes to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to report on the Groundhog Day Festival and see Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog who can predict whether it's going to be spring soon or winter is going to continue for a few more weeks. However, Bill Murray's character, Phil, finds himself in a rather annoying situation when he has to relive Groundhog day again and again. If you haven't watched it and enjoy comedy, we highly recommend it.
Movie aside, why do we celebrate Groundhog Day anyway? Most of us know that on February 2, Punxsutawney Phil will wake up from his winter sleep, come out of his hole, and tell us if winter drags on or if we can now start anticipating the arrival of spring. If he sees his shadow and runs back to his burrow right away, that's bad news: winter will last for another six weeks. But if he doesn't see his shadow, it means that spring is almost here. Groundhog Day comes from the ancient Celtic custom of celebrating the pagan holiday Imbolc to mark the start of spring.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, when the German-speaking Pennsylvania Dutch moved to the United States from Germany, they brought with them the practice of predicting the weather based on animal behavior. The Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper in Punxsutawney, PA, was the first to write about Groundhog Day on February 2, 1886. On February 2, 1887, the first official Groundhog Day ceremony took place there.
So what do you think, folks? Will we have a longer winter, or shall we start preparing for spring? If it's the former, then make sure you continue to keep yourself warm with a puffer jacket, a sherpa blanket, and a beanie.