Today in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the famed groundhog "Punxsutawney Phil" emerged at about 7:30 am and saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter. Thousands of people attended the Groundhog Day ceremony in Punxsutawney this morning, with visitors from as far away as Russia and Australia. In past ceremonies, the number of attendees of the Groundhog day festivities has reached as high as nearly 30,000. At another Groundhog Day event in New York, a groundhog by the name of Staten Island Chuck saw his shadow as well. Leading the ceremony was New York mayor, Bill de Blasio. Phil (Pennsylvania's groundhog) has traveled all over the country and has appeared on numerous news and talk shows. In 1986, he even traveled to Washington to meet President Ronald Reagan. The Groundhog Day tradition in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania began in 1887, and gained an even greater popularity in 1993 with the release of the movie "Groundhog Day".
Groundhog Day is a tradition that I think is very fun and iconic. It's become something very American and I have no doubt that the tradition will endure for many years to come. It's a tradition that seems to keep us grounded (no pun intended heehee) in that it's something that technology hasn't corrupted, and likely will not corrupt. In addition, it's one of the few traditions that hasn't been commercialized, as many holidays have become.
http://news.yahoo.com/same-old-groundhog-day-phil-39-forecast-due-060415051.html
I totally forgot about groundhog day....That is so interesting to me...oh well I'll keep the boots down for another month then..:)
ReplyDeleteThat dang groundhog!!!! All I want is to be able to wear dresses again. T-T
ReplyDeleteOh yeah! Haha I completely forgot it was groundhog day. Although I think it's a bit pointless for people to fly in from all over the world just to see a groundhog, I still think it's nice to have little American traditions like these even if they are a bit silly. And every time groundhog day comes around, I can't help but think of the movie. ;)
ReplyDelete-Hannah Selby 4th