Who needs the Farmer's Almanac when you've got a
groundhog that can predict the weather? That is the tradition of
Groundhog Day that is celebrated in the United States and Canada. If a
groundhog fails to see its shadow when it come out of its hole then
winter will end soon. If a shadow appears it means that winter will
continue for six additional weeks.
A reference to Groundhog Day can be found as early as 1841. "Famous"
groundhogs include "Staten Island Chuck (from New York), Punxsutawney
Phil (from Pennsylvania), and Wiarton Willie (from Canada).
Unfortunately, the legend doesn't hold true - the last several years
(2005-2006) have resulted in some groundhogs seeing their shadow - and
others not finding their shadow - making the predicting of the weather
by groundhogs not very consistent.
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