Early this morning, a mighty groundhog emerged from his burrow in the depths of Pennsylvania. As the groundhog rose with the sun, for all attendees (and a live stream) to see, it was determined that he saw his shadow — meaning six more weeks of winter.
This mighty groundhog’s name is Punxsutawney Phil, and he has become America’s most loved groundhog purely for his ability to determine if we will have six more weeks of winter or early spring.
On Feb. 2nd (also known as Groundhog Day), for the past 139 years, Punxsutawney Phil has resided in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania, located two miles outside of the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
In Punxsutawney, the town holds a celebration called “Groundhog Days in the Park,” which includes food, live music and other festive winter activities.
The celebration has become world-renowned, with people traveling from all over the country to attend, but how did it begin? Who is this groundhog and why do we let him determine our seasons?
The History of Groundhog Day
“Groundhog Day” traces its roots back to German traditions. In Germany, the myth started that if the sun came out on Feb. 2, a hedgehog (most commonly, but some other hibernating animals were used) would see his shadow, signifying six more weeks of winter. If the sun did not come out, and the hedgehog did not see his shadow, it signified that an early spring was coming.
The event occurred on Feb. 2 in honor of Candlemas, a Christian celebration. Candlemas was when Joseph and Mary first presented Jesus in the Temple. In many modern-day celebrations of the tradition, Christians have their candles blessed by the church and use them for the rest of the year.
As mass immigration began in the United States during the mid-1800s, many German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania, bringing their traditions from home with them. Most notably, they brought the tradition of determining how much winter was left with a hedgehog to their new home.
When they arrived in Pennsylvania, they realized groundhogs looked relatively similar to hedgehogs, so they decided to use them instead.
Slowly but surely, over the years, “Candlemas Day” became more commonly known as “Groundhog Day,” leading us to the creation of Punxsutawney Phil.
The History of the Punxsutawney Phil Celebration
The Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is organized by the “Inner Circle.” Known for wearing their tuxedos and top hats on the day of the event, they are able to “communicate” with Phil through the language of “Groundhogese” to see if he will see his shadow or not.
Even though the event has been running for 139 years, Punxsutawney Phil only first gained his name in 1961.
After Phil leaves his burrow, he speaks to the president of the Inner Circle through Groundhogese. The president is the only one who can understand the language due to his ownership of an acacia wood cane.

The president then shares Phil’s prediction with the vice president, and the vice president reads from a corresponding scroll with Phil’s prediction, declaring either an early spring or six more weeks of winter.
The entire event is rooted in the idea of “suspension of disbelief,” meaning that people ignore the situation’s impossibility, avoid critical thinking and believe the narrative in hopes of fully enjoying it.
Members of the Inner Circle hope to keep the event very fun, as something that everyone can enjoy for one day a year, but, nevertheless, people are left with questions.
Most importantly: How has Phil stayed alive all of these years?
Is Punxsutawney Phil Immortal?
According to the Inner Circle, the same Punxsutawney Phil has been predicting the weather for 139 years. Every summer, he drinks the “elixir of life,” allowing him to be immortal and keep predicting the weather.
Unfortunately, everyone, including science, knows that it is not physically impossible for a groundhog to live this long — even the beloved Phil.
The average lifespan of a groundhog in the wild is around six years, and if we do the math, that means we are most likely on our 23rd or 24th Punxsutawney Phil.
Nevertheless, this is just speculation, the Inner Circle has never announced the number of Phils — in accordance with the story they tell the public.
Even with all of Punxsutawney Phil’s gaps in his story and story, the world still loves him. Every year, people wake up on Feb. 2 in hopes of discovering if we have six more weeks of winter or early spring, even if it defies all logic.
Punxsutawney Phil has a certain draw to him, and sometimes, people just really appreciate a good age-old tradition.
This story was written by MaryKate Stepchuk. She can be reached at [email protected].