Will I See My Shadow?
Hello! My name is Punxsutawney Phil, I am a groundhog. Let me tell you about my story and learn about Groundhog Day!
Click on the graphics of the groundhog to learn about Groundhog Day!
Why is Groundhog Day a Holiday?
Hi! My name is Phil. I am a real groundhog. Some people call me a woodchuck! I have been known to chew on bits of wood, but I do not cut down trees or move logs. I like to dig tunnels. Sometimes I dig tunnels for my friends Rabbit and Fox. They make the tunnels their home!
I make my home deep in the ground so I can stay warm and dry. My bed is made of leaves and hay. When I go to sleep in the winter I hibernate. That means that my body temperature can go as low as 39-40 degrees and I live off the fat on my body while I sleep for a really long time.
I eat green plants like clover and dandelion greens and grasses from gardens. I have thick fur to keep me warm. Some people think I am a really cute animal. What do you think?
Yummy!
Why is Groundhog Day a Holiday ?
February 2nd is Groundhog Day! For Christians, it is also called Candlemas Day. Candlemas is celebrated 40 days after Christmas. This is the Feast of Purification for Christians. On this day we celebrate the purification of Mary and the presentation of the baby Jesus in the temple in Jerusalem.
Many people who moved from Germany to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania believed that groundhogs were very smart animals and could tell if there was going to be bad weather. If the sun came out on Candlemas Day, the groundhog would come out and see his shadow. Then, there would be 6 more weeks of winter!
The Germans told this poem:
For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day,
So far will the snow swirl until the May.
For at the snow blows on Candlemas day,
So far the sun will shine before May.
Every year on February 2nd, the people in Punxsutawney have a big festival with me, Punxsutawney Phil the Groundhog! The people wait to see if I will see my shadow!
Photographs of Real Groundhogs
Do you think Phil will see his shadow?
Will we have 6 more weeks of Winter or will we have an early Spring?
Sources of information:
Candlemas. Ona Elementary. 22 Jan. 2003 http://boe.cabe.k12.wv.us/ona/candlemas.html.
Freed, Alan. Punxsutawney Phil.com. OnTV, Pittsburgh. 22 June 2003 <http://www.punxsutawneyphil.com>.
Groundhog Day. 1996. STORMFAX, Inc. 22 Jan. 2003 <http://www.stormfax.com/ghogday.htm>.
Groundhogs at Hoghaven. January 15, 1998. http://www.hoghaven.com/ January 30, 2006.
This web page was created by the Serra Catholic School Technology Team 2002. Revised in January 2006.
