1. How does Groundhog Day work? Every Feb. 2, Punxsutawney Phil's stump-shaped cage is placed on an outdoor stage on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa. When the time is right and the crowd is chanting, Phil -- the most famous prognosticating groundhog -- is plucked from his cage and held up to the crowd. He then "whispers" in the M.C.'s ear and tells him whether or not he has seen his shadow. If he sees it, winter is extended by six weeks. If not, spring comes early.
2. Punxsutawney Phil should stop groundhoggin' the spotlight. Groundhogs (also known as woodchucks) are only one of many North American species that comes out of hibernation in late winter. In fact, the 19th-century German immigrants who introduced the tradition in America had similar beliefs about the weather predicting abilities of badgers and bears. Other modern groundhogs who predict winter's duration include Staten Island Chuck of New York City, Wiarton Willie of Wiarton, Ontario and General Beauregard Lee of Atlanta. (
See a list.)
3. Ready to put your money where your superstitions are? In the last 118 years, Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow 95 times (over 80 percent of the time).
4. Get ready for some groundhog-wash from the official Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. The group claims that Phil is right 100 percent of the time and that he’s the same groundhog who has been predicting for almost 120 years. Apparently, a sip of his secret “groundhog punch” each summer extends his life by seven years.
5. Is Phil’s prediction overly theatric? You be the judge. The people responsible for conducting the ceremony are known as the “inner circle.” Among their ranks are positions for a “stump warden,” a “burrow master” and a “fog spinner.” Their functions? While they may be involved in behind the scenes planning, it looks like their main job is to show up in tuxedos and fill space on the stage.
Sources Used
"Groundhog Day." Columbia Encyclopedia, accessed Feb. 1, 2007. http://reference.aol.com/columbia/_a/woodchuck/20051208011909990014
"Groundhog Day." The Official Site of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. 2007. 30 Jan. 2007. http://www.groundhog.org/.
"Groundhog Day." Wikipedia, accessed Feb. 1, 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_day 
