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The changing of weather has always been a celebration
in many societies. It was an important event to know when to prepare for
bad weather or when to plant crops. Many of the holidays that are
celebrated throughout the world have something to do with a change of
weather.
In the United States there is a tradition of
Groundhog day on February 2. It is when the groundhog comes out of his
hole after a long winter sleep to look for his shadow. If he sees his
shadow, there are six more weeks of bad weather and he will go back to
sleep. If he does not see his shadow, spring weather is here and he will
stay above ground.
This tradition comes from the Europeans who used a
hedgehog. Since the early colonists to America did not find a hedgehog,
they substituted a groundhog. In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, an entire
event has developed to create a media event around Phil the Groundhog.
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