Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day 2012 The Prognosticator of Prognosticators, Punxsutawney Phil, will once again appear at sunrise on February 2 at Gobbler's Knob in the Pennsylvania Wilds to make his annual prediction. Can't be in Punxsutawney? Check back on February 2 and you can watch it here. Stay tuned all year long for updates or check out visitPA on Facebook and Twitter.

Earn the 2012 "PA Groundhog Day" Badge on 2/2/12!

In May 2010, Pennsylvania became the first state in the nation to partner with Foursquare by populating the network with more than 200 state tourism attractions and creating three custom badges: "PA Shooflyer," "PA Retail Polka," and "PA 4 Score & 7."  In 2011, PA launched a brand new badge: Lock & Keystone.

On Groundhog Day 2011, 27,846 Foursquare users worldwide checked-in on Foursquare to shout "groundhog" and earned our first "PA Groundhog Day" badge on 2/2/11. Did you miss out last year? No worries! This Groundhog Day, you can earn the 2012 "PA Groundhog Day" badge by following these fun and simple steps:

1. Follow visitPA on Foursquare by going to foursquare.com/visitpa

2. Check in anywhere in the world and shout "groundhog" between 12:00am - 11:59pm EST on February 2, 2012

The Pennsylvania Tradition of Groundhog Day

What does a sleepy, furry marmot have to do with seasonal change? According to fans of Punxsutawney Phil, everything! But why?

The story of Groundhog Day begins with Candlemas, an early Christian holiday where candles were blessed and distributed. Celebrators of the holiday eventually declared clear skies on Candlemas meant a longer winter. The Roman legions, during the conquest of the northern country, brought this tradition to the Germans, who concluded that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, a hedgehog would cast a shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of bad weather or "Second Winter." German immigrants brought the tradition to Pennsylvania, but how did Punxsutawney Phil emerge?

In 1887, a spirited group of groundhog hunters from Punxsutawney dubbed themselves "The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club." One member was an editor of Punxsutawney's newspaper. Using his ink, he proclaimed Punxsutawney Phil, the local groundhog, to be the one and only weather prognosticating groundhog. He issued this proclamation on Candlemas, and yes, Groundhog Day. Phil's fame spread, and newspapers from around the globe began to report his Gobbler's Knob prediction. Today you will find 20,000+ in attendance and millions watching on television or via the web.

For more information, visit Punxsutawney's official Groundhog site.

An Interview with Punxsutawney Phil and the Inner Circle

Michael Johnston, vice president of the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, talks with Pursuits magazine about Pennsylvania's most famous rodent. 

Groundhog Day News & Press

For all the latest news on Groundhog Day and interesting story angles check out our press materials below. If you'd like to snag an interview with the Inner Circle or have other media questions, visit our media room.

• Groundhog Day Media Backgrounder (PDF)
• 2012 Schedule of Events (PDF)
• Map of Punxsutawney (PDF)
• History of Groundhog Day (PDF)
• Nearby Attractions (PDF)
• Pennsylvania Wilds Overview (PDF)
• Groundhog Fun Facts (PDF)
• Groundhog Day Menu (PDF)