Punxsutawney Phil predicts more winter

Jordan Walker, a native of Punxsutawney, Pa., said that for residents of the town, Groundhog Day… Jordan Walker, a native of Punxsutawney, Pa., said that for residents of the town, Groundhog Day is like the Super Bowl.

“Punxsutawney Phil is like the Steelers for Pittsburgh,” the junior said.

Phil the groundhog saw his shadow Thursday morning, which, according to popular folklore, means winter will continue for six more weeks. Had he not seen his shadow, tradition would have dictated an early spring.

“As I look at the crowd on Gobbler’s Knob, many shadows do I see. Six more weeks of winter it must be,” said Mike Johnston, vice president of the Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle, as he relayed Phil’s proclamation in front of the thousands gathered.

Johnston and the rest of the Inner Circle — the board of directors of the Groundhog’s Club — aim to protect and perpetuate the legend of Punxsutawney Phil. They wear tuxedos and top hats to all events to show respect to the groundhog that they believe is the pinnacle of the animal kingdom.

The tradition comes from German immigrants who believed that groundhogs would come out of their winter hibernations on Feb. 2 to see if the weather was harsh or moderate. The Punxsutawney celebration — the largest in the world — dates back to the 1880s. More than 15,000 people attended today’s celebration in Punxsutawney.

The Inner Circle said multiple times that meteorologists in attendance should take a lesson from Phil’s predictions, and Pitt junior Sam Lindner agreed.

“I’m a firm believer in Punxsutawney Phil,” Lindner said. “He’s a groundhog who predicts the weather. He’s just as reliable as our meteorologists in Pittsburgh.”

Although winter might be warm now, Phil said that winter is nowhere near over.

“Phil’s not concerned with the weather today,” Johnston said. “He’s concerned about the next six weeks.”

According to Punxsutawney’s Groundhog Club website, there has been only one Punxsutawney Phil. He’s said to have a magical drink of “groundhog punch” during each summer’s Groundhog Picnic, giving him seven more years of life.

When Phil isn’t deciding how long winter will be, he’s at the Punxsutawney Memorial Library in his display case. The case is named the “Groundhog Zoo.” The outside wall is made of glass, so fans can visit whenever they feel like making a trip to the library. Other groundhog friends sometimes join him as well.

Pitt junior and Punxsutawney native Easton Kernich, along with Walker, has been fully immersed in Groundhog Day culture from a young age.

Kernich and Walker said that apart from the holiday itself, Punxsutawney holds groundhog parades, festivals and picnics throughout the year. There are also different stores and shops that sell groundhog apparel as well as homemade arts and crafts unique to the area.

Kernich and Walker’s alma mater, Punxsutawney Area High School, has its own way to celebrate the holiday. The school creates an actual groundhog court, which is similar to many schools’ homecoming celebrations. From the court, students choose a Groundhog king and queen, and they are presented onstage at Gobbler’s Knob on Groundhog Day.

Kernich described Groundhog Day as a big party in the middle of a field where thousands gather to try and see the 20-pound woodchuck. The gates open at 3 a.m., but the earliest she has ever arrived is at 5 a.m. Festivities leading up to the prediction include singing and dancing, a fireworks show and a large bonfire to keep fans warm.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett was the special guest of the morning. It was only the second time in the 126-year history of Groundhog Day that a seated governor has made an appearance. He was accompanied by his wife, Susan.

Past guests have included Bam Margera, who is best known from MTV’s “Jackass” series, and Bill Murray, the comedic actor who starred in the 1993 movie adaptation of Groundhog Day. Johnston said following the movie release, he’s put in around 1,000 hours per year of work because of the spot’s increased popularity and fame.

Kernich and Walker already have high hopes for next year’s celebration. The holiday falls on a Saturday, and parties back in Punxsutawney are in the preliminary planning stages.

“Everyone should go [to Groundhog Day],” Kernich said. “It needs to be on everyone’s bucket list.”