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Here's What's Trending on 2/2/2017

Pennsylvania’s world famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, predicted six more weeks of winter on Thursday after seeing hisshadow.

This event is part of an American tradition called “Groundhog Day.” It takes place every February 2 in the small Pennsylvanian town of Punxsutawney.

Since 1886, thousands of people have come together on this day on a hill called “Gobbler’s Knob.” They watch as a groundhog named Phil predicts the length of the winter season. Today was the 131st official Groundhog Day.

A groundhog is a large rodent, and part of a family known asmarmots.

On Groundhog Day, Phil the groundhog comes out of a hole in the earth just after sunrise. As the tradition goes, Phil will then look for his shadow on the ground. If he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of cold weather during winter. If Phil does not see his shadow, warmer weather will arrive soon.

If Phil, the brown haired critter
Comes out into the light
And quickly sees his shadow
He’ll bounce back out of sight.

He’ll slip into his burrow
For spring is far away
Six more weeks of winter
The price that we will pay.

But should the day be cloudy
Ole Phil will wander out
With spring around the corner
He’ll spread the news about.

Tis fun to follow legend
It brightens up our day
To think the bliss of springtime
Is not that far away.

Pennsylvania's earliest settlers were Germans and they found
groundhogs to in profusion in many parts of the state. They
determined that the groundhog, resembling the European hedgehog,
was a most intelligent and sensible animal and therefore decided
that if the sun did appear on February 2nd, so wise an animal as
the groundhog would see its shadow and hurry back into its
underground home for another six weeks of winter.
by Marilyn Ferguson 2004

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