Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day, celebrated on February 2, has its roots in an ancient Celtic celebration called Imbolog, marking the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. This was a time to celebrate having made it halfway through winter. The superstition arose that if the weather was fair on Imbolog, the second half of the winter would be cold and stormy, but if the weather was cold and overcast or stormy, the second half of the winter would be mild.
In early Christian times, February 2 was celebrated as Candlemas, but the earlier superstitions persisted. The Romans learned these traditional beliefs from the Scottish Celts, and brought them to the area that was to become Germany, where they became a part of the folk culture. German immigrants brought these beliefs with them to Pennsylvania, where the tradition of predicting the weather became centered around the woodchuck or groundhog. The town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, has an annual celebration centering around the activity of the groundhog “Punxsutawney Phil.”
Groundhog Day — Our Groundhog Day page includes a Groundhog Day Booklist for Kids and other links for more information and activities for Groundhog Day.