When is Groundhog Day 2025? Date, traditions and fun facts to know

On By Littum

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Will he or not? Every 2 February the question arises – will Groundhog see his shadow, which gets six more weeks in winter? The most popular of the rodent meteorologists is Punxsutawney Phil, a Western Pennsylvania-based Groundhog that draws scores of people to the small town every February.

Here is everything to know about the prophetic rodent and the day dedicated to its winter forecast.

When is Groundhog Day?

It is always on February 2nd, which in 2025 lands on a Sunday. Punxsutawney Phil – as well as other Groundhog predictors around the nation – will predict the prognosis early in the morning. (Typically around 7:30 pm)

What is Groundhog Day?

In the American tradition of Groundhog Day, the nation’s groundhog forecasters will take an attitude to the season ahead. If Groundhog sees his shadow, he predicts six weeks more in winter. If he doesn’t, it’s a forecast for an early spring.

Groundhog Day’s roots are in the Christian holiday CandlemasMidway Point between Winter Solverv and Spring Equinox. Candlemas was traditionally in line with the expectation of plant crops, according to Old Farmer’s AlmanacAnd to see sunshine on the day was said to indicate the return of winter.

In Europe, people traditionally looked at bears or counties to look for the sign on recurring winter or coming spring, but when German immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania, they used earth dogs to make the prognosis instead.

The first official groundhog -day took place at February 2, 1887In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The event took a permanent stay on Gobbler’s dial the following year.

Who is Punxsutawney Phil?

Punxsutawney Phil is the famous Groundhog that predicts the weather in “Groundhogesis” according to Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. He is not the only weather -expensive rodent, but he is the best known.

He is also known as “Viewers of Viewers”, “The Prognosticator of Prognosticers”, “Weather Predictor Extraordinary”, “BRs Groundhog” and “National Treasure.”

Tens of thousands of people flock to the city to witness the ceremony in person. More than 30,000 people attend the event each year, according to Visitpa.com, Pennsylvania’s state tourism site. The event is also live-streamed.

So Phil his shadow last year? Was he right?

In 2024, Phil predicted we would see an early spring. According to groundhog-day.com, almost all the US earth dogs also predicted an early spring.

How exactly is Punxsutawney Phil?

While Phil is the most famous Groundhog, he is not the most accurate. According to Stormfax Weather AlmanacPhil is just about 39% of the time.

Ohio’s Groundhog, Buckeye Chuck, for example, has an accuracy record closer to 75%According to Marion Star, a newspaper in central Ohio that is part of the US Today Network.

For a forecast that is far more than folklore, you can visit National Weather Service or Accuweather.

What other Groundhogs offer a February 2nd forecast?

Sure Punxsutawney Phil is the best known Groundhog, but he is not the only one. A lesser known Taxidermied Groundhog – Octoraro Orphie from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania – was Groundhog, which I was bred to postpone. But there are others around the nation with far more threat.

Among them:

Contributing: USA Today Reporters Clare Mulroy and Julia Gomez