6 MORE Weeks of Winter

We don’t want to hear this, not this winter when it seems like winter has been a year long. We don't want to hear this, not ever. But here it is, the terrible phrase, “6 more weeks of winter“. Only because Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow.

German tradition holds that if a hibernating animal sees its shadow on Feb. 2, which is the Christian holiday of Candlemas, then winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says spring will come early.

Phil has emerged to see his shadow in Pennsylvania, meaning winter will last another six weeks. We haven’t seen much sun all winter. How did my home state of Pennsylvania get so lucky on this special day? But as a kid growing up in Pennsylvania, I don’t remember dreary winter days. I remember lots of days of sledding, building snowmen, and snowball fights. I remember the glare of the sun on the snow. Sorry, America, I guess you shouldn’t have chosen PA to determine how long winter would be.

The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club annually announces Phil's forecast at dawn on Gobbler's Knob, about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Hundreds of onlookers watched as Phil was brought out. Temperatures were in the teens. Why would any rodent want to come out on such a cold day?

I grew up within an hour of Punxsutawney. The Punxsy High School teams were a major rival of my high school. I never thought that Groundhog Day was a special occasion. And it amazes me every year that it is a national event! I just shake my head. And all because of a rodent that wrecks havoc in our hay fields and gullies!

Since 1887 Phil has predicted more winter weather by seeing his shadow nearly 100 times. There are no records for nine years.

Does this mean that we really don’t need Punxy Phil? We might as well say that there is always 6 more weeks of winter after Feb 2?

On a good note, Spring is coming. As soon as this 6 week period is over, Spring will be just a few days away. So, for every day we spend in this extra 6 weeks of winter, spring is 1 day closer.

Groundhog Day February 2nd

The day is clear with the sun shining! It had been forecasted to being a snowy day, which would have been better for our long term winter! Now, that means sun, and the Punxsutawney Phil Groundhog will see his shadow. If Phil sees his shadow, he will be scared, and go back into his hole for 6 more weeks. That means 6 more weeks of winter.

Growing up in western Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney was in my back yard. Punxy was one of our town’s high school rivals. They had this groundhog that they got out of a cage in the middle of winter. Phil would predict if we were going to have more winter. I didn’t think much about that town. It was just another western Pennsylvania small town.

We sure didn’t make pets out of groundhogs. They were rodents and made terrible holes in the hay fields, and everywhere else. My dad used to shoot groundhogs! Some people used to eat them but we didn't! I always thought that Groundhog Day was just something in “our neck of the woods”. Punxy is just down the road, part of an hour away. I never dreamt that they would talk about this rodent miles away. Then I moved to the eastern part of the state and over the border to New Jersey. And you know what? They knew about this groundhog there! I was amazed. Then we moved to the outskirts of Pittsburgh, and they knew about that groundhog there. But I figured that Punxy was only a little more than an hour away and it must be a western PA thing. But I was astonished when I moved to Michigan and they knew there!

AND…I finally got it when I moved to Nebraska! Everyone knows!!! My husband still laughs at me to this day, 28 years later, every time February 2nd comes around. I never realized that Groundhog Day was a national thing! Over a rodent. Go figure!!! Remember, these were the days before the movie!

So now we have 6 more weeks of winter. Just because of some Groundhog! Who needs that? I still don’t get what the big deal is all about on February 2nd!

Now there is an OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.groundhog.org Go figure, again!

But I did find out that Punxsutawney Phil has a girlfriend groundhog, and I know her name! Do you? And I know how many times Phil has seen his shadow and how many times he hasn’t!

HINT: Phil has seen his shadow more than not seeing it! Looks like we almost always have more winter after Feb 2!

Oh…where is the spring sunshine and warmth?