# Groundhog's Day



## RadishRose (Jan 29, 2019)

What is the history of Groundhog Day?


Groundhog Day started in 1886, although its roots go back even farther.


 It's an offshoot of Candlemas Day, an early Christian holiday that  doubled as a weather prediction occasion. An old English rhyme goes
 "If Candlemas Day is clear and bright,
 Winter will have another bite.
 If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain,
 Winter is gone and will not come again."


 In Germany, they would wake up a badger or hedgehog to see if he saw  his shadow. When early Pennsylvania settlers came over, they took the  idea and simply replaced the hedgehog with a groundhog.


 Flash forward to 1886, and the editor of _The Punxsutawney Spirit _newspaper gives it the official name "Groundhog Day."


 A year later and The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club was founded  and the annual trek to Gobbler's Knob began. With the creation of the  club came the rise of Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog being elevated to  global celebrity status.










Feb 1, 2013[h=1]Beyond Punxsutawney: Meet the Other Groundhogs[/h]
[h=2]1. The earliest predictor: Shubencadie Sam[/h]By virtue of  living east of every other celebrity groundhog in North America, Nova  Scotia native Sam, a resident of Shubencadie Provincial Wildlife Park in  Canada, takes the prize as the earliest to issue a Groundhog Day  prediction regarding whether spring will come early or late.

Click below to read about Staten Island Chuck and the others.

https://www.history.com/news/beyond-punxsutawney-meet-the-other-groundhogs


----------



## CeeCee (Jan 29, 2019)




----------



## Aunt Bea (Jan 29, 2019)




----------



## C'est Moi (Jan 29, 2019)




----------



## RadishRose (Jan 30, 2019)

My goodness, an armadillo with the name Luchenbach Lloyd, no less!


----------



## RadishRose (Jan 30, 2019)

[h=3]Sir Walter Wally[/h]






Sir Walter has a pretty good accuracy record  at 58 percent, and is quick to point out that he's been more accurate  than his northern competition, Phil (who's right about 37 percent of the  time). Sir Walter is a resident of the North Carolina Museum of Natural  Science, so he's a very learned groundhog.
http://www.realclear.com/humor/2017...ous_groundhogs_who_predict_weather_15229.html
​


----------



## Camper6 (Jan 30, 2019)

I'm a scientific guy.  I don't think groundhogs or any other animal including humans can forecast how long a winter will last.

It's fun.  It's like popcorn.  Don't fret over the unpopped kernels.  Enjoy the ones that are there.


----------



## RadishRose (Jan 30, 2019)

Camper6 said:


> I'm a scientific guy.  I don't think groundhogs or any other animal including humans can forecast how long a winter will last.
> 
> It's fun.  It's like popcorn.  Don't fret over the unpopped kernels.  Enjoy the ones that are there.



What???? I thought everyone did!. Next you'll try to tell me there's no Easter Bunny! layful:


----------



## wvnewbie (Jan 30, 2019)

GroundHog Day is always special since Punxy is where Mom grew up.  The celebrating in Punxsutawney is like Mardi Gras but FRIGID!


----------



## RadishRose (Jan 30, 2019)

*Staten Island Chuck*


In 1981, Charles G. Hogg, better known as “Chuck,” began his rise as the groundhog soothsayer of *Staten Island *Zoo, New York. 

Although Chuck is not as well-known as his rival in Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil, Chuck gained notoriety in 2009 *when he bit New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg on the finger* during the city’s Groundhog Day event.

Because of the Bloomberg incident, Chuck was secretly replaced by his granddaughter, Charlotte, for the first ceremony of Bill de Blasio. Despite this, de Blasio dropped the groundhog during his first ceremony.[SUP][5][/SUP] Charlotte died February 9, 2014, although the Staten Island Zoo did not make this public until several months later.


----------



## CeeCee (Jan 30, 2019)

Mayor in Wisconsin got bitten on the ear!  Must happen a lot.


----------



## RadishRose (Jan 30, 2019)

CeeCee said:


> Mayor in Wisconsin got bitten on the ear!  Must happen a lot.



OMG, I almost can't believe it!


----------



## RadishRose (Jan 30, 2019)

Then there's Groundhog's Day ( with apologies to Aunt Bea)






Gotta go with the flow.


----------



## 911 (Feb 2, 2019)

I did some patrol duty at the Pennsylvania State Farm Show back in about 2015 and old Punxsutawney Phil was there with one of the lodge brothers. My wife was also there and took a few pictures.


----------



## RadishRose (Feb 2, 2019)

He's cute.


----------



## Butterfly (Feb 2, 2019)

Phil looks singularly unimpressed by the goings on.

So now do they just put him back and let him go back to sleep?


----------



## retiredtraveler (Mar 3, 2019)

Just saw this posting. We live just outside of Woodstock Il where the film, Groundhog Day was filmed. They still make a big deal of it every year around here. As a bit of trivia, 'everyone' liked Bill Murray as he walked around town, gave some autographs, went to local restaurants and bars leaving big tips, and hung out with the locals a bit.  
   Nobody saw Andie. Apparently, she went immediately to her trailer when not shooting. 
   A bit of trivia ---- The film destroyed the town square where a lot of filming was done --- trampled the grass to mud, trampled almost every shrub, damaged trees. But, the film company paid not only to restore the square, but paid a lot more to add some nicer landscaping than the original. It's all good.


----------



## RadishRose (Mar 3, 2019)

retiredtraveler said:


> Just saw this posting. We live just outside of Woodstock Il where the film, Groundhog Day was filmed. They still make a big deal of it every year around here. As a bit of trivia, 'everyone' liked Bill Murray as he walked around town, gave some autographs, went to local restaurants and bars leaving big tips, and hung out with the locals a bit.
> Nobody saw Andie. Apparently, she went immediately to her trailer when not shooting.
> A bit of trivia ---- The film destroyed the town square where a lot of filming was done --- trampled the grass to mud, trampled almost every shrub, damaged trees. But, the film company paid not only to restore the square, but paid a lot more to add some nicer landscaping than the original. It's all good.



How interesting, RT. I'm glad Murray was nice to everyone. I heard he can also be rude Glad they repaired your square and improved it, too.


----------

