We love a great party and we never think the occasion is too small to celebrate! Throughout my life, friends and family have celebrated a wide variety of milestones, holidays, and events. One of my mom’s closest friends throws a squirrel themed party every fall primarily because she just loves squirrels and, like us, loves a good excuse to throw a party. It’s no surprise that we love all holidays and occasions, even Groundhog Day.

Groundhog Day began as an official holiday in 1887 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania when a local newspaper editor declared Phil, their weather predicting groundhog, America’s only groundhog fit to predict the coming of spring. While other cities have their own local clairvoyant groundhogs, Punxsutawney remains the center of Groundhog Day and annually tens of thousands of people travel to Pennsylvania for a three day celebration and Phil’s prediction.

While the line of famous Phils dates back to 1887, the Groundhog Day tradition has far older roots in the ancient Christian tradition of Candlemas which marked the midpoint between the winter solstice and summer equinox. During Candlemas, the clergy would bless and distribute candles needed for winter. Tradition held that if Candlemas was fair and bright winter was still in store, but if it had clouds and rain winter would soon be over. In Germany the tradition evolved to include a hedgehog. Superstition said if the sun appeared and the hedgehog had a shadow, there would be six more weeks of cold weather.

While most people now look to a groundhog, not a hedgehog, the tradition lives on and, because Phil saw his shadow this morning, we might just be in for six more weeks of winter.