Punxsutawney Phil

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Groundhog Day 2005 in Punxsutawney featuring Phil.
Groundhog Day 2005 in Punxsutawney featuring Phil.

Punxsutawney Phil, the "seer of seers and prognosticator of prognosticators,"[1] is a groundhog resident of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, USA. On February 2, (Groundhog 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 have 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 "Save the Bearded Owls" 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.

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[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 122 years as of 2008. They say that every summer, Inner Circle members feed Phil a sip of the mysterious Groundhog Punch, which he must drink to maintain his immortality. (In natural circumstances, a groundhog could never live more than 10 years or so.) According to the Groundhog Club, Phil, after making the prediction, speaks to the Club President in "Groundhogese", intelligible only to the Inner Circle; this prediction is then translated for the entire world.

[edit] In media

  • Phil and the town of Punxsutawney were portrayed in the movie Groundhog Day, although the scenes were actually filmed in Woodstock, Illinois.[2]
  • 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. Since then, Bam Margera has been randomly seen throughout the crowd on a Public Access Station from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, USA called PCN (The Pennsylvania Cable Network) every Groundhog's Day, alongside the traditional notice of Punxsutawney Phil.
  • In 2007 Rick McFerron, a resident of nearby Indiana, Pennsylvania with a Groundhog Day birthday walked 30 miles both ways from Indiana to Punxsutawney for his 60th birthday. He raised money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.[3]
  • Ty Inc. has a tradition of sending out a Punxsutawney Phil Beanie Baby annually around Groundhog's Day. The toy is shown consistently wearing a top hat and bow tie in order to appear as a member of the Inner Circle.

[edit] Past predictions

  • 2008: 6 more weeks of winter
  • 2007: Early spring
  • 2000-2006: 6 more weeks of winter
  • 1999: Early spring
  • 1998: 6 more weeks of winter
  • 1997: Early spring
  • 1996: 6 more weeks of winter
  • 1995: Early spring
  • 1991-94: 6 more weeks of winter
  • 1990: Early spring
  • 1989: 6 more weeks of winter
  • 1988: Early spring
  • 1987: 6 more weeks of winter
  • 1986: Early spring
  • 1984-85: 6 more weeks of winter
  • 1983: Early spring
  • 1976-82: 6 more weeks of winter
  • 1975: Early spring
  • 1971-74: 6 more weeks of winter
  • 1970: Early spring
  • 1951-69: 6 more weeks of winter
  • 1950: Early spring
  • 1944-49: 6 more weeks of winter
  • 1943: No appearance (WWII)
  • 1942: Partial shadow
  • 1935-41: 6 more weeks of winter
  • 1934: Early spring
  • 1903-33: 6 more weeks of winter
  • 1902: Early spring
  • 1901: 6 more weeks of winter
  • 1900: 6 more weeks of winter
  • 1898: 6 more weeks of winter
  • 1890: Early spring
  • 1887-88: 6 more weeks of winter

Of these 112 predictions on record so far, Punxsutawney Phil has predicted an early spring 14 times (13%).

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Punxsutawney Phil's 2008 Prediction on Groundhog.org
  2. ^ Trivia for Groundhog Day. IMDB. Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
  3. ^ "Indiana Man To Walk To Punxsutawney For Good Cause", WPXI, 2007-01-30. 

[edit] External links