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JANUARY 26, 2009
Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is a holiday celebrated in United States and Canada on February 2.  The legend of Groundhog Day is based on an old Scottish couplet: "If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year."  Every February 2, people gather at Gobbler's Knob, a wooded knoll just outside of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.  Residents contend that the groundhog has never been wrong.

The ceremony in Punxsutawney was held in secret until 1966, and only Phil's prediction was revealed to the public. Since then, Phil's fearless forecast has been a national media event.  The groundhog comes out of his electrically heated burrow, looks for his shadow and utters his prediction to a Groundhog Club representative in "groundhogese." The representative then translates the prediction for the general public.

If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, it means six more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, it means spring is just around the corner.  Approximately 90% o the time, Phil sees his shadow.  Phil started making predictions in 1887 and has become an American institution.

The children's programs here at the library (Story Hour and Kids' First Afterschool Program) that week will be learning and having fun with Groundhog Day. They will be hearing stories on Groundhog Day, participating in activities and creating crafts that have to do with this theme.
Here's a little Groundhog poem: 
Here's a little groundhog furry and brown
He's coming up to look around
If he see's his shadow, down he'll go
Then six more weeks of winter, OH NO!


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