When Was The First Groundhog Day? 4 Historical Facts About The Origin Of Punxsutawney Phil

Groundhog Day is an annual holiday celebrated every February 2. According to the now infamous Groundhog Day legend, if it is overcast and cloudy when Punxsutawney Phil, the now famous groundhog, merges from his burrow on Sunday, spring will come early. However, if it is sunny and bright, Phil will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow and the winter weather will continue for six more weeks.

The first official Ground Hog was celebrated on February 2, 1886 in Punxsutawney, Penn., and was decreed a holiday by a resounding proclamation in “The Punxsutawney Spirit” by the newspaper's editor, Clymer Freas, "Today is Groundhog Day and up to the time of going to press the beast has not seen its shadow." The following year, the first and now notable Groundhog Day celebration took place at Gobbler's Knob, the crowd that gathered, which included Freas, dubbed themselves "The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club." After witnessing a groundhog appear, the club named him Phil, the Punxsutawney Groundhog and used Freas power of the press to ensure that Phil was the one and only official weather prognosticating groundhog.

While still considered folklore in the modern day, the history of Punxsutawney Phil is as long as the holiday itself. Here are 4 historic facts that you won't want to miss:

1. Groundhog began in the United States as a Pennsylvania German custom in the 19th century, however the holidays origins date back to ancient European weather lore. Before it was a groundhog in the U.S., Europeans would base there winter weather on the predictions of a badger or a bear.

2. Groundhog Day also bares similarities to a well know Pagan festival known as Imbolc, which represents the seasonal turning of the Celtic calendar to welcome spring. Imbolc is celebrated on February 1, and also involved a weather prognostication, however instead of a groundhog, the prediction of winter weather belongs to the goddess Brigid.

3. According to Historical Society of Berks County, the first documented reference to Groundhog Day in the United Sates was discovered in a dairy entry. The documentation was dated February 4, 1841 and belonged to James Morris, a storekeeper from Morgantown, Pennsylvania. The entry stated, “Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate.”

4. Groundhog Day is most widely celebrated in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Fans of Punxsutawney Phil can watch as the furry marmot appears at sunrise on February 2 at Gobbler's Knob in the Pennsylvania Wilds to make his annual prediction.