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Groundhog Day, February 2nd, is the day that Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog, comes out of his hole after a long winter and looks for his shadow. If he sees it, it's an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and he returns to his hole. If it's cloudy, therefore no shadows, he sees it as a sign of spring and stays above ground. The Romans brought the tradition to Germans, who then said if the sun shined on this day, the hedgehog would cast a shadow, predicting 6 more weeks of bad weather. Early settlers in Pennsylvania were German and found groundhogs in profusion. Since the groundhog resembled the European hedgehog, they decided that if the sun appeared on Feb. 2, the wise, intelligent groundhog would see its shadow and hurry back into its underground home for another six weeks of winter.
Since 1886, the little town of Punxsutawney, PA, 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, celebrates this event with gusto for 2 days - attendance has reached into the 30,000's. February 1 is, of course, Groundhog Day Eve; there's a food festival, carnival, weddings performed by the Mayor in Phil's Chapel, sleigh rides, contests, souvenirs, art show, music and dancing. February 2 begins with the early morning Annual Trek to Gobbler's Knob for Phil's Official Prognostication. Gobbler's Knob at Sportsman's Park (no alcohol permitted here and no parking) is a 1 1/2 mile stroll from downtown Punxsutawney. There are also shuttle buses available. Be early and dress warm, gates open at 3:00 AM, Phil's prediction comes at daybreak (approximately 7:25 AM). There's live entertainment, music and fireworks. Then back in town, the day-time festivities continue, along with a celebration for February 2 birthdays.
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