History of Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day doesn’t actually come from "Punxsutawney Phil" as many believe. I apologize to all Pennsylvanians for taking away the luster of this holiday but it actually comes from Candlemas Day. Candlemas Day was observed for centuries in Europe on February 2 where the clergy would bless candles and distribute them to the people. This seemed to have come from a Pagan tradition, Imbolc, which took place at the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. It is believed that the Roman legions brought this tradition to the Germans.
There is an old Scottish couplet, “If Candlemas Day is bright and clear. There'll be two winters in the year.”
German immigrants brought the tradition to the U.S. in the 1840s. Pennsylvania’s earliest settlers were German and that is why Punxsutawney, PA is the headquarters for this holiday in America. If the groundhog sees its shadow on a "bright and clear" day, six more weeks of winter are ahead.