when is groundhog's day?

Answer 1

For the movie of the same name, see Groundhog Day (film).

Groundhog Day 2005 in Punxsutawney.
Groundhog Day 2005 in Punxsutawney.

Groundhog Day is a traditional festival celebrated in the United States and Canada on February 2. It is a cross-quarter day, midway between the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox.

In traditional weather lore, if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and fails to see its shadow because the weather is cloudy, winter will soon end. If the groundhog sees its shadow because the weather is bright and clear, it will be frightened and run back into its hole, and the winter will continue for six more weeks.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Famous prognosticating groundhogs
* 3 Past predictions
* 4 In fiction
* 5 External links

[edit] History
A groundhog.
A groundhog.

Around the fifth century, the European Celts believed that animals had certain supernatural powers on special days that were half-way between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. [citation needed]Folklore from Germany and France indicated that when marmots and bears came out of their winter dens too early, they were frightened by their shadow and retreated back inside for four to six weeks.[citation needed] This was adopted by the Romans as Hedgehog Day.

When Christianity came into being, the formerly pagan observance also came to be called Candlemas.

The earliest known American reference to Groundhog Day can be found at the Historical Society of Berks County in Reading, Pa. The reference was made Feb. 4, 1841 in Morgantown, Berks County (Pennsylvania) storekeeper James Morris' diary: "Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate."

In the U.S. the tradition derives from a Scottish poem:

As the light grows longer
The cold grows stronger
If Candlemas be fair and bright
Winter will have another flight
If Candlemas be cloud and rain
Winter will be gone and not come again
A farmer should on Candlemas day
Have half his corn and half his hay
On Candlemas day if thorns hang a drop
You can be sure of a good pea crop

This tradition also stems from similar beliefs associated with Candlemas Day [1] and Hedgehog Day.

In western countries in the Northern Hemisphere the official first day of Spring is about six weeks after Groundhog Day, on March 20 or 21. About 1,000 years ago, before the adoption of the Gregorian calendar when the date of the equinox drifted in the Julian calendar, the spring equinox fell on March 16 instead. This was exactly six weeks after February 2. Assuming that the equinox marked the first day of spring in certain medieval cultures, as it does now in western countries, Groundhog Day occurred exactly six weeks before spring. Therefore, if the groundhog saw his shadow on Groundhog Day there would be six more weeks of winter. If he didn't, there would be 42 more days of winter. In other words, the Groundhog Day tradition may have begun as a bit of folk humor.

Alternatively, the custom could have been a folk embodiment of the confusion created by the collision of two calendrical systems. Some ancient traditions marked the change of season at cross-quarter days such as Imbolc when daylight first makes significant progress against the night. Other traditions held that Spring did not begin until the length of daylight overtook night at the Vernal Equinox. So an arbiter, the groundhog / hedgehog, was incorporated as a yearly custom to settle the two traditions. Sometimes Spring begins at Imbolc, and sometimes Winter lasts 6 more weeks until the Equinox.

[edit] Famous prognosticating groundhogs
Another groundhog.
Another groundhog.

* Punxsutawney Phil found in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
* Staten Island Chuck found in New York City, New York
* Wiarton Willie found in Wiarton, Ontario
* General Beauregard Lee found in Snellville, Georgia
* Dunkirk Dave found in Dunkirk, NY

* Profile of many other prognosticating groundhogs

die

[edit] Past predictions

* 2006
o 6 more weeks of winter — Dunkirk Dave, Punxsutawney Phil, Buckeye Chuck
o Early Spring — Spanish Joe, Wiarton Willie, General Beauregard Lee, Staten Island Chuck, Shubenacadie Sam, Jimmy the Groundhog, Malverne Mel, French Creek Freddie
* 2005
o 6 more weeks of winter — Dunkirk Dave, Punxsutawney Phil, Shubenacadie Sam, Spanish Joe, Octorara Orphie, Malverne Mel
o Early Spring — Wiarton Willie, Jimmy the Groundhog, General Beauregard Lee, Balzac Billy, Staten Island Chuck

* 2004
o 6 more weeks of winter — Punxsutawney Phil, Dunkirk Dave, Wiarton Willie, Spanish Joe, Balzac Billy, General Beauregard Lee, Malverne Mel

* 2003
o Early Spring — Dunkirk Dave

* 2002
o 6 more weeks of winter — Dunkirk Dave

* 2001
o Early Spring — Dunkirk Dave

Answer 2

Tomorrow Feb.2

Answer 3

Tomorrow. Feb 2.

Answer 4

invoice Murray is taken under consideration one of my maximum favoritest actors, yet i've got no longer seen Groundhog Day in an prolonged time. i admire the area while they ultimately make certain that throwing water on the groundhogs only makes them multiply.

Answer 5

Feb 2nd

Answer 6

did you miss it,,,just happened,,,wow,,,are you out of the loop.