Punxsutawney Phil ‘Throws’ First Pitch at Pirates Game

The History of Punxsutwaney Phill

Punxsutawney Phill is celebrated on Groundhog Day, which is every year on Feb. 2, with annual celebrations in Punxsutawney, Pa., about 80 miles north east of the City of Pittsburgh.

Fans of the groundhog and the celebration go early to Punxsutawney, where they await to see if Phil has seen his shadow or not.

If Phil has seen his shadow, then there will be six more weeks of winter, but if he doesn't see his shadow, then that predicts an early spring.

The handlers of Phil are known as the Inner Circle and they wear the top hats and black tuxedos during the celebration. The president in the Inner Circle is the one that claims he can speak with the groundhog and declares the proclamation on if Phil saw his shadow or not.

Punxsutwaney isn't the only place where Groundhog Day is celebrated, but it is the most famous location and also where the 1993 film "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray takes place.

Groundhog Day started with the tradition of Candlemas coming from Dutch immigrants in the Germanic areas of Europe, with clergy handing out candles on Feb. 2, the halfway point between the winter solsitce and spring equinox, determining how long they believed winter would keep going on for.

Germans then used hedgehogs instead of candles, but when they realized that hedgehogs weren't ubiquitous in the United States they turned to groundhogs instead.

Punxsutawney took the celebration of Groundhog Day to the next level, which lasts days long and includes many different festivities for people to partake in.