What are 5 facts about groundhogs Day?

Groundhog Day is a popular tradition in North America, where people wait for a groundhog to emerge from its burrow on February 2 and predict the weather for the rest of the winter. Here are some interesting facts about this quirky celebration:

1. Groundhog Day has its roots in Germany, where it was linked to a Christian holiday called Candlemas. German immigrants brought the custom to the United States and replaced the badger with the groundhog as the animal forecaster.

2. The first official Groundhog Day was celebrated in 1887 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where a group of groundhog hunters and businessmen formed the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club and named their groundhog Phil.

3. Punxsutawney Phil is said to be immortal and drinks a magical elixir every summer to extend his lifespan. He also supposedly speaks a language called “Groundhogese” and communicates his prediction to the members of the Inner Circle, who wear top hats and tuxedos.

4. The accuracy of Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions is disputed, with some studies showing a success rate of around 50 percent. However, some other groundhogs, such as Staten Island Chuck, claim to have a higher accuracy of almost 80 percent.

5. Groundhog Day was popularized by the 1993 comedy film of the same name, starring Bill Murray as a weatherman who gets stuck in a time loop and relives the same day over and over again. The film was shot in Woodstock, Illinois, not in Punxsutawney.