groundhog day 2011

Punxsutawney Phil is one weatherman that everyone agrees is all style and no science, but he still manages to draw a crowd and the nation's attention on Feb. 2.

Each year the town of Punxsutawney, Pa., emerges to bask in the glow as everyone tunes in to see if the famous groundhog prognosticator will see his shadow on Groundhog Day.The myth goes another six weeks of winter weather is on its way if the groundhog sees his shadow as dawn breaks. No shadow means an early spring.

Phil's prediction will be seen at about 7:25 a.m. ET on Wednesday and will be simulcast on visitPA.com .Wikipedia.com stated that the holiday Groundhog Day was a German custom in Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries. It possibly has origins in ancient European weather lore, though prior legends gave the prognosticating job to a badger or a sacred bear, not a groundhog.

There are also other similarities including the medieval Catholic holiday of Candlemas and the Pagan festival of Imbolc, the seasonal turning point of the Celtic calendar that comes between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.

The blog The Holiday Spot credits newspaper editor Clymer H. Freas and American Congressman W. Smith with launching the yearly festival in Punxsutawney in the late 1800s.