Punxsutawney Phil spotted his shadow on Sunday, signaling six additional weeks of winter, according to his handlers who made the announcement to a lively crowd at Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania. The gathering set a new record in size, with excited onlookers cheering for the groundhog as he was brought out just after sunrise. As part of the ceremony, a member of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club read aloud from a scroll, humorously proclaiming: “Only I know — you can’t trust A.I.”
The weather prediction from Phil is a tradition that has been celebrated for over a century in western Pennsylvania, with roots stretching even further back in European folklore. However, it was Bill Murray’s 1993 film “Groundhog Day” that truly popularized the event, turning it into a massive spectacle with tens of thousands of spectators in attendance and similar events springing up across the U.S. and beyond. According to the custom, when Phil does not see his shadow, it is believed to signal an early spring, while his shadow predicts six more weeks of winter.
As the crowd awaited Phil’s prediction, they were entertained with a fireworks display, confetti showers, and live music ranging from the Ramones to the “Pennsylvania Polka.” Among those present were Governor Josh Shapiro, various elected officials, and even a pair of pageant winners.
Jon Lovitch, a gingerbread artist from New York who has attended the event for 33 years, shared his thoughts on the gathering. “I like the cold, you know, and this is probably the best and biggest midwinter party in the entire world,” Lovitch remarked. “And it’s just a really good time.”
Phil has historically forecasted a prolonged winter far more frequently than an early spring, and one study tracking his accuracy showed he was correct less than half the time. The meaning of “six more weeks of winter,” however, can vary depending on individual perspectives.
Tom Dunkel, president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, explained that people come to Gobbler’s Knob for two reasons: to confirm their faith in the tradition or to challenge their doubts. Phil communicates his predictions to Dunkel through what is known as “Groundhog-ese,” aided by a special cane Dunkel inherited as the club’s leader. It’s not as simple as speaking in English, though. “He’ll like wink, he’ll purr, he’ll chatter, he’ll — you know — nod,” Dunkel said.
While attendance is free, attendees can pay $5 to take a bus from the town center to the stage, avoiding the one-mile walk. This is especially important since the local schools, where the mascot is the Chucks, close on Groundhog Day if it falls on a weekday due to the large number of buses required for the event.
Keith Post, along with his wife and a friend, made the journey from Ohio after watching the movie “Groundhog Day” every year for the last five. “We booked rooms almost a year in advance and we’re here,” Post explained. “We’re doing it.”
Four years ago, a new welcome center opened, and the club is working on a second living space for Phil and his family, where they can alternate between Gobbler’s Knob and the town library. This year, large video screens and more powerful speakers were added to ensure those at the back of the crowd could still follow the event.
“It’s a holiday where you don’t really owe anyone anything,” said A.J. Dereume, one of the club’s 15-member inner circle, who serves as one of Phil’s handlers. He lifted Phil high for the crowd to see, prompting loud cheers. “You’re grasping onto the belief, you know, in something that’s just fun to believe in.”
Jackie Handley had agreed to visit Punxsutawney for the first time last year to help a friend complete an item on their bucket list, ready for the freezing temperatures. “It’s once in a lifetime — we’re probably not going to come back. And we have tons of warm clothes,” Handley, from Falls Church, Virginia, said.
After the prediction was made, club members and Phil posed for photos with attendees from the crowd. Phil has a family, including his wife Punxsutawney Phyllis and their two pups, Shadow and Sunny, born this spring. However, the family did not join Phil on stage for the ceremony. The groundhog family’s diet consists of fruits and vegetables, and they receive daily visits from Dereume and annual checkups with a veterinarian.
The lore surrounding the club holds that Phil is the same woodchuck who has been predicting the weather for over a century, thanks to an “elixir of life” that keeps him immortal. “There’s only one Phil, and it’s not something that can be handed down,” Dunkel explained. “Just like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, there’s only one.”
Groundhog Day celebrations have been held in at least 28 U.S. states and Canadian provinces. In Pennsylvania, other groundhogs across the state, including in Mount Joy, Dover, and Lancaster County’s Manheim Township, also predicted a longer winter. However, in Quarryville, the Slumbering Groundhog Lodge’s Octoraro Orphie forecasted that spring was on the way.
In Jackson, Georgia, located about 50 miles southeast of Atlanta, a groundhog named General Beauregard Lee also saw his shadow, meaning six more weeks of winter. Similarly, Shubenacadie Sam, a groundhog at a wildlife park in Nova Scotia, Canada, also saw her shadow, predicting a continuation of winter.
{Matzav.com}