Spring lovers, you can thank your friend Phil.
Each year on Feb. 2, Groundhog Day, groundhog Punxsutawney Phil predicts the arrival of spring in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The ceremony begins right before sunrise. Phil then emerges from his temporary home on Gobbler’s Knob. According to folklore, when the groundhog sees its shadow, six more weeks of winter is to be expected. If it sees no shadow after it emerges, spring is supposed to come early.
This Saturday, Punxsutawney Phil emerged early in the morning and did not see his shadow, indicating an early spring.
Students were pleased with Phil’s prediction for the year 2013. “I love spring because that’s when my birthday is,” Lily Rappaport ’13 said. “I’m very excited not to have six more weeks of winter, especially since this winter has been particularly freezing.”
Other notable Groundhog’s Day predictions came from New York’s Staten Island Chuck, who also did not see his shadow, and Georgia’s Beauregard Lee, whose forecast of six more weeks of winter contradicted Phil’s prediction. However, no other groundhog holds greater notoriety or is held in greater esteem than Phil.
After all, Punxsutawney Phil once made a guest appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show and even has a Beanie Baby named after him. On every other day of the year, Phil can be found living in his town’s library, alongside his “wife,” Phyllis.
