Punxsutawney Phil

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Groundhog Day 2005 in Punxsutawney featuring Phil.

Punxsutawney Phil is a groundhog and the most famous resident of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. On February 2 (Groundhog's Day) of each year, the town of Punxsutawney celebrates the beloved groundhog with a festive atmosphere of music and food. During the ceremony, which begins well before the winter sunrise, Phil emerges from his temporary home on Gobbler's Knob, located in a rural area about 2 miles east of town. According to the tradition, if Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, the United States will suffer six more weeks of winter. If Phil does not see his shadow, spring will arrive early. The date of Phil's prognostication is known as Groundhog Day in the United States and Canada. During the rest of the year, Phil lives in the town library with his "wife" Phyllis.

A club of Phil enthusiasts, known as the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, take care of the famed rodent year-round. A select group, called the Inner Circle, also plan the annual ceremony. Members of the Inner Circle are recognizable by their top hats and tuxedos.

1 Punxsutawney Phil Lore
2 History Of The Groundhog
3 In Media
4 Past predictions
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Punxsutawney Phil Lore

Punxsutawney Phil fans say that there is only one Phil (all the other groundhog weathermen are impostors), and that he has made weather prognostications for almost 120 years as of 2006. They say that every summer, Phil is fed a sip of the mysterious Groundhog Punch, which magically lengthens his life for seven years. This is done by Inner Circle members. According to the Groundhog Club, Phil, after making the prediction, speaks to the Club President in "Groundhogese", which only the Inner Circle appear to understand, and then his prediction is translated for the entire world.

In reality, groundhogs (widely known as woodchucks) have a maximum lifespan in captivity of 10 years, much shorter in the wild. [1] Thus it is likely that Phil has been replaced dozens of times. The actual method whereby the Inner Circle makes the "prediction" is unknown.

[edit] History Of The Groundhog

Borrowing from an ancient European legend, "For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, So far will the snow swirl til May," the seed for the now world famous Feb. 2nd celebration was planted in 1886 when Groundhog Day was first recognized in Punxsutawney, PA.

In the autumn of 1899 a half dozen Punxs'y citizens, the nucleus of the "Groundhog Club" first gathered on a nearby mountain and ate groundhog. In succeeding years thousands flocked to the "Home of the Groundhog" to participate in this celebrated end-of-summer feast. The accompanying publicity propelled the Groundhog Club to national prominence. The Feb. 2nd treks to Gobblers Knob were born in 1906. The rest is history. Punxs'y Phil saw the country through five wars, journeyed to the moon, visited the White House, starred in his own major motion picture and has appeared live on numerous talk shows. Yet, despite his accomplishments, the century-old Groundhog continues to delight millions with his mystique and shodowcasting magic each Feb. 2nd in Punxsutawney, PA.

[edit] In Media

Phil and the town of Punxsutawney were portrayed in the movie Groundhog Day, though the scenes were actually filmed in Woodstock, Illinois.

Phil was also the main attraction on an episode of the MTV series Viva La Bam. The episode was titled "Groundhog Day" and it aired on April 10, 2005. In the episode, street skater Bam Margera held a special race in honor of Punxsutawney Phil.