Happy Groundhog Day, from Punxsutawney Phil!

Tomorrow is the actual holiday, but wanted to put this post out here today JUST in case you don't check blogs on the weekend. :)

Since the release of the film “Groundhog Day” fifteen years ago, tourist visitors to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on the actual day of quirky celebration, February 2nd, have often more than quintupled the population numbers. Thousands of visitors from around the globe congregate here each year to await the appearance of ‘Punxsutawney Phil’, the town’s famous resident Groundhog, from his underground home in Gobbler’s Knob.
Punxsutawney is located in Pennsylvania’s North Western region, renowned for its quaint towns and untamed wilderness. The area is home to the only herd of wild Elk in Pennsylvania and is also famous for its spectacular displays of ‘fall foliage’ in October.

Looking for answers to your Groundhog Day questions? ! Did you know Punxsutawney has been celebrating since 1886??

Here are some answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the holiday:

• Yes! Punxsutawney Phil is the only true weather forecasting groundhog. The others are just impostors.


• How often is Phil's prediction correct? 100% of the time, of course!


• How many "Phils" have there been over the years? There has only been one Punxsutawney Phil. He has been making predictions for over 120 years!


• Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking the "elixir of life," a secret recipe. Phil takes one sip every summer at the Groundhog Picnic and it magically gives him seven more years of life.


• On February 2, Phil comes out of his burrow on Gobbler's Knob - in front of thousands of followers from all over the world - to predict the weather for the rest of winter.


• According to legend, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring.


• No! Phil's forecasts are not made in advance by the Inner Circle. After Phil emerges from his burrow on February 2, he speaks to the Groundhog Club president in "Groundhogese"(a language only understood by the current president of the Inner Circle). His proclamation is then translated for the world.


• The celebration of Groundhog Day began with Pennsylvania's earliest settlers. They brought with them the legend of Candlemas Day, which states, "For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May..."


• Punxsutawney held its first Groundhog Day in the 1800s. The first official trek to Gobbler's Knob was made on February 2, 1887.


• So the story goes, Punxsutawney Phil was named after King Phillip. Prior to being called Phil, he was called Br'er Groundhog.