Groundhog Day 2023: Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, forecasting more winter. On Thursday, America’s famous groundhog predicted a longer winter by seeing his shadow. Groundhog is also known as Punxsutawney Phil. By which the weather ahead of February is predicted.
According to tradition, if a groundhog comes out of its burrow and sees its shadow on Feb. 2, it is considered six more weeks of winter. But if the groundhog does not see its shadow, then warmer weather is expected to begin soon.
The weather predictions made by Groundhogs have been correct only about 39% of the time. The tradition dates back to 1887 when groundhogs were used to predict the weather in Punxsutawney city.
History of Groundhog Day
According to experts, the ancient Romans celebrated this tradition on February 5, but due to the absence of groundhogs in Europe, they used hedgehogs for divination. After this, after the departure of the Romans, its date was changed to 2 February.