Six more weeks of winter or an early spring -- which will it be this Groundhog Day?
While Punxsutawney Phil may be the more well-known groundhog each year for the prediction, there's another name that many in the Chicago area have come to know and trust -- Woodstock Willie, who resides in the same village where the cult classic 1993 film "Groundhog Day" was filmed.
Willie made his own prediction in the far northwest Chicago suburb, where he did not see his shadow, joining Punxsutawney Phil in predicting an early spring.
In 2023, both Woodstock Willie and Punxsutawney Phil forecasted six more weeks of winter after seeing their shadow early on the morning of Feb. 2.
What happens if the groundhog sees its shadow?
Legend has it that when the groundhog sees his shadow, he gets scared and returns to hibernation, serving as a prediction of six more weeks of winter.
If the groundhog does not see his shadow, spring will arrive early.
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How did Groundhog Day start?
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It's part of a tradition rooted in European agricultural life, marking the midpoint between the shortest day of the year on the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It's also a time of year that figures in the Celtic calendar and the Christian holiday of Candlemas.
Ancient people would watch the sun, stars and animal behavior to guide farming practices and other decisions, and the practice of watching an animal’s emergence from winter hibernation to forecast weather has roots in a similar German tradition involving badgers or bears. Pennsylvania Germans apparently substituted the groundhog, endemic to the eastern and midwestern United States.
Historians have found a reference in an 1841 diary to groundhog weather forecasts in early February among families of German descent in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, according to the late Don Yoder, a University of Pennsylvania professor whose 2003 book about Groundhog Day explored the Celtic connection.
Yoder concluded the festival has roots in “ancient, undoubtedly prehistoric, weather lore.”
What else is happening for Groundhog Day?
To help commemorate the holiday, the cast of "Groundhog Day" is set to reunite Friday afternoon at Chicago's Navy Pier, giving those around the city reason to look forward to the day regardless of what the forecast for the next six weeks may be.
The event, according to a release, is also meant to commemorate Chicago-born Harold Ramis, co-writer and director of the movie.
"When the alarm clock flips from 2:59 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 'I Got You Babe' plays, all will gather to commemorate Harold Ramis’ life and accomplished career in film," the release said, adding that Ramis' wife, Erica Mann Ramis, will also be in attendance.
This event will be streamed live here.
