By Julia Sikora · Contributing Writer
This Pennsylvania tradition draws approximately 30,000 visitors to Punxsutawney, Pa. every year on Feb. 2. The year 1886 marked the first recorded Groundhog Day celebration, an event rooted in European traditions and myths. Similar beliefs associated with Candlemas Day, the 40th day of Christmas and the presentation of Jesus in the temple, held specific customs for centuries. According to the official Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, the date itself marked a milestone in the winter, and the weather that day was important. Since then, crowds have gathered annually to witness the groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, coming out of his burrow to look for his shadow. If he sees his shadow, six more weeks of winter are to be expected. If there is no shadow, Phil predicts an early spring.
Gobbler’s Knob, the site of the Groundhog Day celebration, welcomed thousands of visitors to the 140th annual Groundhog Day festivities this year. Grove City College students braved the sub-zero temperatures during the early hours of Monday, Feb. 2 to take part in the tradition. Junior Anastasia Brown, Pennsylvania native, recalls fond memories of Groundhog Day from her childhood, saying “(I saw) it on TV broadcasts, which my family watches religiously each year.” She welcomed the opportunity to travel the two hours to Punxsutawney to fulfill her “lifelong dream” of participating in the day herself.
Gobbler’s Knob opens to the public at 3 a.m. on Groundhog Day. Stage shows, concerts, performances, special guests and firework shows entertain crowds prior to the ceremony. The special guest of honor this year was United States Senator Dave McCormick, the first sitting senator to attend the festivities. The ceremony is organized by members of the Inner Circle, local dignitaries responsible for carrying on the tradition of Groundhog Day every year. They interact with the crowd, knocking on the door of Punxsutawney Phil’s burrow, showing him off and interpreting the ultimate forecast.
Brown recounted “seeing the Inner Circle parade to the stage, winning a free tote bag and getting hot chocolate in a groundhog souvenir cup” as some of the most memorable parts of the morning. When the time came for Punxsutawney Phil’s annual prognostication, Brown “joined the crowd in booing” after the groundhog saw his shadow. She “had been longing for the warmth of spring every minute since 1:20 a.m. when (she) awoke,” yet the forecast loomed: six more weeks of winter.
In the end, the crowd reaction did not change the proclamation that came from the scroll read by members of the Inner Circle. Punxsutawney Phil called for six more weeks of winter after seeing his shadow this year. Even amid record-breaking snow, Pennsylvanians, Grove City College students and Groundhog Day enthusiasts alike wait eagerly for the prospect of an early spring next year, when it will be Groundhog Day — again.
