February 2 is Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is celebrated in the United States each year on Feb. 2. Tradition says that on this day the groundhog awakens from its long winter’s nap, and goes outside of his den to see if he sees his shadow.

If the groundhog sees his shadow on a sunny morning, there will be six more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow on a cloudy day, then spring is just around the corner.

The Groundhog Day tradition has its roots in Germany. In the early 1800s, German immigrants brought the tradition to America, as a way to predict winter weather. In their native Germany, they used hedgehogs for the event. As they settled in the hills of Pennsylvania, they began the tradition of using the groundhog.

It is interesting to note that all groundhogs are marmots but not all marmots are groundhogs. In Montana the groundhog is a marmot, more specifically, a rock chuck.