Groundhog Day
Some people think a groundhog can tell how long winter will last. Groundhog Day is a holiday all about this animal and this belief.
A groundhog is a rodent. Rodents have big front teeth. They eat leaves, bark, and berries. Groundhogs live in a hole in the ground.
Groundhog Day is February 2. A story says the groundhog comes out of his hole on that day. He looks around. If he sees his shadow, he is scared and jumps back into his hole. This means there will be six more weeks of winter.
Sometimes the groundhog does not see his shadow. He does not jump back down his hole. This means spring will come soon.
The first Groundhog Day was in 1886. A newspaper reporter wrote an article about it. The article was in a newspaper in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Today, Punxsutawney still celebrates Groundhog Day.
Punxsutawney's groundhog is named Phil. Every February 2, lots of people come to see Phil. They want to know if he will see his shadow. Groundhogs in other cities predict how much longer winter will last. The groundhogs are not always right. But it is fun to see them guess!
Many towns and schools celebrate Groundhog Day. People make paper groundhogs. They listen to stories and play nature games.