On Monday, thousands will gather to watch a groundhog see its shadow or sit on a tree stump.
It’s a tradition that’s been done for generations with many groundhogs, or one immortal groundhog, depending on who you talk to. It’s Groundhog Day, a day when a groundhog will predict if there will be six more weeks of winter or an early spring.
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Punxsutawney Phil is the most famous groundhog to make a weather prediction, known as Punxsutawney Phil’s Prognostications. According to his club, he is considered “immortal.” Traditionally, he drinks a magical “elixir of life” that grants him extra years. The town he’s from, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, holds events leading up to his prediction on Feb. 2 every year.
What is Groundhog Day?
It’s the day that the Groundhog comes out of its hole after a long winter sleep to look for its shadow.
If it sees its shadow, it regards it as an omen of six more weeks of winter and returns to its hole.
If the day is cloudy, and the groundhog doesn’t see its shadow, it takes it as a sign of spring and stays above ground.
The holiday stems from Candlemas Day, when Christians took their candles to the church to have them blessed. According to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s website, they believed that the candles would bring blessings to their household for the remainder of the winter.
Eventually, an old English folk song highlighted the Candlemas tradition into a weather foretelling, "If Candlemas be fair and bright, Come, Winter, have another flight; If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Go Winter, and come not again."
That interpretation of Candlemas Day then became the norm for most of Europe.
Why a Groundhog?
The traditional belief was introduced to Germany, where an animal was then brought into the lore. According to German lore, if the hedgehog saw its shadow on a sunny Candlemas Day, there would be a “second winter” or six more weeks of bad weather.
German settlers then came to the United States, bringing their traditions and folklore. Since there were no hedgehogs in the United States, a similar hibernating animal was chosen. This evolved to the present-day groundhog tradition.
Michigan’s groundhog
Michigan has its own groundhog that determines the forecast in Howell.
Woody the Woodchuck’s forecast works differently from a traditional groundhog’s.
Woody determines the forecast by the time she spends outside on a ceremonial tree stump. If she stays on the stump 30 seconds or longer, that means there will be an early spring. Any less, and it’s six more weeks of winter.