PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pennsylvania (AP) – There will be another six weeks of winter, Punxsutawney Phil predicted as he emerged from his lair on a snowy Tuesday morning to fulfill his obligations on Groundhog Day.
Phil’s “inner circle” members woke the furry bug at 7:25 am at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to see if he would see his shadow or not.
Shortly after this year’s forecast was revealed, one of the members of the inner circle shared a message that said Phil had told him earlier in the day: “After winter, are you looking forward to one of the most beautiful and brightest fountains that you” I already saw. “
Another member of the “inner circle” noted the uniqueness of last year.
“People have been referring to Groundhog Day. It seems that sometimes we are all living the same day over and over again, ”said one member. “Groundhog Day also shows us that the monotony is over. The cycle will be broken. “
“Today is Groundhog Day, there is only one,” he added. “There is literally a new day on the horizon.”
The show that is Groundhog Day still continued, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, partygoers were unable to see Phil and celebrate in person: This year, it was all virtual.
A live broadcast, which had over 15,000 viewers at one point, reproduced images from the previous Groundhog Day before the big reveal.
Then, of course, the prognosticator of the prognosticators – aided by his Inner Circle – appeared at dawn. Tradition says that if he sees his shadow as he saw it this year, there will be six more winter weeks. Otherwise, spring comes early.
The live broadcast of Gobbler’s Knob, a small hill just outside Punxsutawney about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, is made possible by the Pennsylvania Tourism Office’s Holi-stay PA. The event there – always February 2 – dates from 1887.
Phil this year, like many years ago, gave his forecast during a big snowstorm that hit the entire Northeast.
The annual event has its origin in a German legend about a furry rodent. Records dating from the late 1800s show that Phil predicted longer winters more than 100 times. The 2020 forecast predicted an early spring – however, Phil said nothing about a pandemic.
Punxsutawney Phil may be the groundhog’s most famous psychic, but he’s certainly not the only one. There are two other prominent “impostors”, as the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club calls them, in the region.
Staten Island Chuck will be asked about his prophecy on Tuesday at around 8 am at the Staten Island Zoo in New York. This event will be broadcast on Facebook, as the zoo is closed.
Also without fanfare, Chuckles, Connecticut’s official groundhog, will make a home forecast: the Lutz Children’s Museum in Manchester. This will also be broadcast on Facebook. Chuckles X died in September, and it remains to be seen whether an anointed Chuckles XI will appear on Tuesday.