Groundhog Day falls on February 2! Did Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow? Find out what the result means for gardening. Plus, learn about the ancient origins of this holiday, once named Imbolc (the midpoint between the winter solstice and spring equinox) and also celebrated asCandlemas.
Did the Groundhog See His Shadow in2024?
Early in the morning of February 2, 2024, Punxsutawney Phil—that Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Weather Prognosticator Extraordinary— emerged from his burrow (with a little help from his handlers) to make his much-anticipated forecast and did NOT see his shadow, which indicates an earlyspring!
What’s in store for spring? See the Almanac’s Spring 2024 Weather Forecast.
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When is GroundhogDay?
Groundhog Day, celebrated every year on February 2, is an unusual holiday that stretches back hundreds of years back to European traditions and even ancienttimes.
How is Groundhog DayCelebrated?
Groundhog Day is famously connected to weather prediction, with the most prominent tradition involving a groundhog predicting the conclusion of winter by seeing (or not seeing) his own shadow. According to weatherlore:
- Sees His Shadow: If the plump prognosticatoremerges from his hole on a clear day and seeshis shadow, he will retreat,and there will be six more weeks of wintry weather.
OR - No Shadow: If he emerges from his burrow and does NOTsee his shadow, then earlyspring weather is right around thecorner.
What most don’t realize is that Groundhog Day is actually rooted in astronomy—and the movement of the Earth around the Sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, this datemarksthemidpoint between the winter solsticein December and thespring equinoxin March. In fact, the holiday stems from an ancient Celtic celebration called Imbolc, which is something called a cross-quarter day. (Read more about thatbelow!)
Meet Punxsutawney Phil, the Most FamousGroundhog
Probably the most famous groundhog, Phil, is from western Pennsylvania. (Yes, there are other groundhog celebrities as well, such as the one inSun Prairie, Wisconsin.) This famous groundhog is amusingly known as “Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather-Prophet Extraordinary.” It was proclaimed by the “Punxsutawney Groundhog Club” in 1887, the same year they declared Punxsutawney to be the weather capital of theworld.
Every February 2, the “faithful followers of Phil” can await his arrival starting at 6 a.m., thanks to a livestream provided by Visit Pennsylvania. The livestream has been a tradition for the past several years, allowing more people than ever to watch the animal meteorologist.See the live stream early morning February 2 here.
According to NOAA, Punxsutawney Phil has accurately predicted the coming of spring 40% of the time. That’s not exactly a great track record. (Our guess is that “Phil” isn’t naturally emerging from his borrow to the paparazzicameras.)
Of course, it’s all in good humor. As the folks in Punxsutawney say, it’s “A day to take everything a little less seriously, and break up the winter monotony… at least for a littlewhile!”
What is the Meaning Behind GroundhogDay?
ImbolcOrigins
Originally, Groundhog Day wasa Celtic festival marking the year’s first cross-quarter day,or a midpoint between seasons. Read more about theancient Celtic calendarhere.
Celebrated at the beginning of February, the daywascalled Imbolc—a termfrom Old Irish that is most often translated as “in the belly”—a reference to the soon-to-arrive lambs of spring. The celebration of Imbolcsignaled that the Sun washalfway through its advance towards the springequinox, and the season of new birth and light was on thehorizon.
This dayhas also been called St. Brigid’s Day, which stems from a mixing of figures and traditions from pagan and Christian beliefs. The Celtic goddess Brigantiais associated with dawn, light, and spring, which are qualitieslater associated with Brigid of Kildare, a Christian saint (and one of Ireland’s patronsaints).
Candlemas
Although it is distinct from Imbolc, the Christian festival of lightCandlemasis also observed at this time of year (February 2).The name refers to thecandles lit that day in churches, whichcelebrate the presentation of the Christ Child in the temple ofJerusalem.
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.
Groundhog Day has a rich history based on a deeper meaning; itspeaks to thetriumph of spring over winter—and birth over death.Again, note the appearance of light over dark with the appearance of candles and dawn—and, of course, the spiritual light of a holierpresence.
Why Use aGroundhog?
So, how does the groundhog fit into this ancient festival? Historically, a groundhog wasn’t the animal of choice: a bear brought the forecast to the people of France and England, while those in Germany looked to a badger for asign.
In the 1800s, German immigrants to Pennsylvania brought their Candlemas legends with them. Finding no badgers but lots of groundhogs(also called woodchucks or whistlepigs),they adopted the New World species to fit the lore.
Today, that lore has grown intofun winter festivals, with Punxsutawney Phil and furry fellowsin other statespresiding.
What Is Groundhog Day’sConnection toWeather?
Since the traditional celebration anticipated the planting of crops, a central focus of the festivities was the forecasting of either an early spring or a lingeringwinter.
Sunshine on Candlemas was said to indicate the return of winter.Similarly…
When the wind’s in the east on Candlemas Day,
There it will stick till the 2nd of May.
- It was not held as a good omen if the day itself was bright and sunny, for that betokened snow and frost to continue to the hiring of the laborers 6 weeks later onLadyDay.
- If it was cloudy and dark, warmth and rain would thaw the fields and prepare themforplanting.
Our Groundhog Day is a remote survivor of that belief. Though we recognize animal behavior isn’t the only way to judge planting dates, the tradition continues, often with a wink andasmile.
Here at The Old Farmer’s Almanac, we say, “If the groundhog sees his shadow, we’ll have sixmore weeks of winter; if he doesn’t, it’ll be sixweeks untilspring.” Getit?
Want to see more accurate planting dates? Check out our Planting Calendar to find dates for starting seeds, transplanting, and harvesting in yourarea.
Groundhog Day and CandlemasLore
If Candlemas [February 2] be mild and gay,
Go saddle your horses and buy them hay;
But if Candlemas be stormy and black,
It carries the winter away on its back.
Just half your wood and half your hay,
Should be remaining on Candlemas Day.
On CandlemasDay,
The good goose begins to lay.
When the wind’s in the east on Candlemas Day,
There it will stick till the 2nd of May.
On CandlemasDay, if the thorns hang a drop,
You are sure of a good pea crop.
More AboutGroundhogs!
What exactly IS a groundhog? Also known as a woodchuck or whistlepig, the groundhog typically makes its home in the brambles and thickets that grow where forests meet fields. There, it digs burrows between 4 and 6 feet deep and up to 40 feet long—removing as much as 700 pounds of dirt in theprocess.
Like its squirrel relatives, the groundhog eats leaves, grass, flowers, bark, and twigs and climbs trees to reach tender buds or fruit. This furryanimal will also go after just about any crop, favoring beans, peas, and carrot tops. It may even take a bite out of every squash or pumpkin in a row instead of consuming just one. See how to deter groundhogs in the garden.
But the mischief-maker is not all nuisance. Its burrows allow air and water to penetrate the soil, and when abandoned, they become homes for opossums and other small animals. The groundhog itself serves as food for larger creatures, such as bobcats, foxes, andwolves.
With hungry predators on the prowl, it takes courage for a groundhog to emerge from its hole every February to make its forecast. It must take itsjobveryseriously!
What’s the Difference Between a Groundhog and aWoodchuck?
Every year, we’re asked if a groundhog is the same thing as a woodchuck. Yup. There’s no difference (taxonomically). It’s the same burrowing rodent,Marmota monax. The word you use is more of a reflection of where you live. In cold New England, where we can pretty much count on wintry weather no matter what the marmot thinks, the term “woodchuck” is often used. The word comes from the Algonquin name iswejackorwuchak.What do you callit?
What’s the WeatherForecast?
For a forecast that’s more than folklore, see the Almanac’slong-range predictions(traditionally 80% accurate) or your5-day weather forecast!
