Getty Punxsutawney Groundhog Club Inner Circle Members Jason Gursky and official handler, AJ Dereume and Punxsutawney Phil, the weather-predicting groundhog, work a Zoom call with schoolchildren in hundreds of schools throughout the United States on Gobblers Knob on February 1, 2021 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
Punxsutawney Phil, the famous and furry weather oracle, is ready for his once-a-year day of fame. If you’re not able to see his spring prediction live, there are several ways to watch him online on Groundhog Day for the 2022 live stream coverage.
The world’s most famous groundhog hails from a small town in western Pennsylvania. Every year on Groundhog Day, February 2, he ventures out of his home early in the morning. As the tradition goes, if Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, an early spring is just around the corner.
Here’s what you need to know:
Phil’s Festivities Begin at 6 a.m. on Groundhog Day & There Are Several Ways to Watch Online for Free
The Pennsylvania Cable Network’s Groundhog Day coverage is available for free on cable in the region. But if you don’t have cable or don’t live in the area, you can watch their livestream coverage online here.
Visit PA will also be streaming the coverage live from their website, their YouTube channel and their Facebook page.
“Are you a Phil fanatic? We’ve got you covered,” Visit PA writes. “Punxsutawney takes on a whole new feel this time of year because excitement is in the air.”
Their coverage begins at 7:15 a.m. Phil will make his prediction at about 7:20 a.m. Eastern time. The event will be held live at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
The festivities begin well before Punxsutawney Phil ventures out of his burrow. It all starts with a Lunch With Phil and continues with the Inner Circle Groundhog Ball. Later, festivities continue with a sold-out banquet held at the local high school, the Annual Groundhog Banquet, “a favorite for locals and visitors from around the world,” according to The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. The party lasts all night, the website says. Other activities include Gobbler’s Knob Got Talent.
The Groundhog Day Tradition Is Rooted in a Christian Tradition From Europe Involving Candles Instead of Rodents
Groundhog Day has its origins in a Christian European tradition in which families would bring candles to the church to have them blessed on February 2, according to The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. The tradition became a part of Candlemas Day.
The lyrics of an English folk song immortalized the tradition:
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.
The tradition hit Germany and evolved as a hedgehog became the predictor of a long winter or an approaching spring, the website said. However, when the tradition reached the United States, there were no native hedgehogs, so a groundhog took its place.
The first mention of Groundhog Day appeared in the local newspaper in 1886.
“In Punxsutawney, 1886 marked the first time that Groundhog Day appeared in the local newspaper,” the website says. “The following year brought the first official trek to Gobbler’s Knob. Each year since then has seen a steady increase in participation of the celebration from people all over the world.”
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Source: Heavy
