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Groundhog Day History and Facts
Groundhog Day is celebrated to pay respect to the Indian ancestors. The Delaware Indians considered groundhogs their honorable ancestors. They believed that their ancestors began their life as an animal and then centuries later they emerged as men and made their living through hunting. It was in 1723, the Delaware Indians settled in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, which is a campsite that is halfway between Allegheny and the Susquehanna Rivers.
Another interesting fact about the Groundhog Day is that the name Punxsutawney has originated from the location ponksad-uteney “town of sandlfies” and the name woodchuck has originated from the legend known as “Wojak, the groundhog”, which was known by Indians as their ancestral forefathers. Through different references, the first ever Groundhog Day celebrated was at Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center at Franklin and Marshall College.
It was until the year 1966 that the Groundhog Day ceremony was kept secret, which was celebrated in Punxsutawney and only the prediction of Phil was being shared. After that every year on February 2nd, people get together at Gobbler’s Knob, which is a wooded knoll just outside Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Residents say that Phil is never wrong in his predictions. If Phil sees his shadow, then it means that the winter is going to go for another six weeks, but if he does not see his shadow then it means that spring is on its way. It is about 90% of the time that Phil sees his shadow.
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