In Pennsylvania on Thursday morning, Punxsutawney Phil surfaced from his hole to view his shadow and predict six more weeks of winter. A tiny hill, known as Gobbler’s Knob, in Punxsutawney, PA is where the groundhog emerged at dawn to make his prediction.
The Inner Circle, a group who dresses in top hats and tuxedos, determines in advance what the groundhog will do. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Gorbett was among the thousands of spectators this year to witness the furry little creature emerge from his home in the Earth. Groundhog day celebrations are rooted in German superstition that says if a hibernating animal shows a shadow on February 2, which is also the Christian holiday of Candlemas, winter will exceed by another six weeks. If no shadow appears, there will be an early spring. “I guarantee you someone’s going to have six more weeks of winter,” said Mike Johnston, the vice president of the Inner Circle.
