by Denise Calaman

Created on: January 27, 2009   Last Updated: October 22, 2010

Although February is the shortest month it has more holidays and religious observations than any other month. Valentine's Day, President's Day, and Ash Wednesday to name just a few. February also has another popular holiday. February 2nd is known as Groundhog Day.  Groundhog day is celebrated in various states throughout the country but its biggest celebration is in Pennsylvania. Groundhog day is so big in Pennsylvania even the state lottery has a groundhog mascot named Gus.  So just how did Pennsylvanians start celebrating this crazy holiday?

Groundhog Day is similar to a European tradition, known as Candlemas, which also predicts an early or late spring. Pennsylvania was settled in large by German settlers who brought their traditions with them. In the late 1800's two newspapermen from western Pennsylvania organized a festival in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to celebrate Candlemas. The main attraction was a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil. Punxsutawney Phil is still alive and well, living in Pennsylvania today. He still predicts the weather on Groundhog Day. There is a club called the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. It is a men's only club devoted to Phil and everything groundhog. On their website (http://www.groundhog.org), they have a countdown clock to Groundhog Day.

As legend goes, on February 2, just after sunrise, the groundhog wakes up from hibernation, and crawls out of his burrow. He will either see his shadow (if it is sunny), and retreat back into his burrow for another six weeks, which means six more weeks of winter, or he won't see his shadow and an early spring is then predicted to be on its way. Now that's rather sound weather predicting, isn't it?

These days, Punxsutawney Phil isn't the only hog in town. He has a rival named Octararo Orphie. He is Phil's rival and chief prognosticator for the eastern part of the state. Octararo Orphie has his own lodge, located in Quarryville, Lancaster County. Residents in southeastern Pennsylvania usually deem Orphie more reliable than Phil, but everywhere else in Pennsylvania, Phil is still king hog.

As the popularity of Groundhog Day continues to grow, Phil and Orphie will have to contend with other groundhogs seeking their own 15 minutes of fame. A vast majority of counties in Pennsylvania have their own local groundhogs starting to predict the weather. A few other states such as Alabama, New York, Ohio and Florida have their own famous groundhogs. Even Canada has its own famous prognosticator. However; Punxsutawney Phil is still the original groundhog people all over the United States turn to every February 2, when they celebrate this fun holiday with Pennsylvania origins.

Groundhog Day is fast approaching but in the blink of an eye Phil will have made his prediction and the excitement will be over for another year; almost. You see, Pennsylvanians have a fourth holiday that we celebrate in February. Faschnut Day. What is that you ask? It's a holiday where you eat donuts all day long. Isn't Pennsylvania great?

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