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Groundhog Day

The popular U.S. tradition of Groundhog Day takes place annually on February 2nd. Everyone knows the drill. After a long winter of hibernation, the groundhog emerges from his hole. If he comes out and sees his shadow, we're in for another six weeks of winter and he heads back underground. If it's a cloudy day and he doesn't see his shadow, that signals the start of spring and he remains above ground. It's quite a hard job for a little groundhog. The fate of the seasons resting in his hands. A huge responsibility for such a tiny fella'.

A Brief History

When the Germans settled in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania in the 1700s, they brought with them a tradition known as Candlemas Day. This day fell midway between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. If the day was fair and an animal saw its shadow, it meant six more weeks of wintry weather. The Germans used a badger, not a groundhog, for the shadow. This tradition was the foundation for what has become our Groundhog Day.

The groundhog was first chosen as a replacement in Pennsylvania. According to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, found at Groundhog.org, Pennsylvania first celebrated the holiday on February, 2 1886.  The following year, people made the first official trek to Gobbler's Knob, the location of his emergence. Since that time, a culture has developed surrounding this holiday. If you plan on celebrating the day, make sure you've got some fun accessories for it. The most popular groundhogs are: Punxsutawney Phil, from Pennsylvania; Staten Island Chuck from New York City, New York; Wiarton Willie from Wiarton, Ontario; General Beauregard Leeexternal text from Snellville, Georgia.

Fun Stuff

Knit Groundhog Hat 

Show your pride for the groudhog while keeping warm and toasty

February 2nd Heart Tie-Tac 

Give your tie an upgrade. Add some flare with this niffty tie-tac.

Ivory Heart Pin 

Celebrate the day in style with this heart-shaped pin.

Phil Paws 

Get a few extra confused looks while you sport these new babies!

Groundhog Golf Club Cover 

Relax folks, it's not roadkill. Add some character to your clubs with these golf club covers.

Plush Phil 

Your very own groundhog you can cuddle all year long!

Puppets 

For the puppet master, the finger puppet is not enough to show off your true talents.

Finger Puppet 

Put on your own groundhog day show with finger puppets. Decide for yourself, whether or not Phil sees his own shadow.

Mardi Gras Beads 

Phil Koozie 

Phil may not be able to promise you an early spring, but these phil koozies can keep your beverages nice and hot so you can keep warm all winter long.

Paw Balloons 

These will be a big hit at your next underground birthday party.

Groundhog Day 

You may not be happy with Phil's prediction, but that's no reason to be glum. No matter the outcome shed some light on the day with this hilarious movie.

Weather Capital Iron-On Patch 

Show your true devotion to the groundhog by sporting one of these patches. Even better, use it to cover up an old stain.

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