The history of how Groundhog Day came to be
Let’s get to the bottom of how this day came to be.
Groundhog Day is almost here: A celebration where North Americans turn toward local groundhogs, like Canadian notables Balzac Billie, Manitoba Merv, Wiarton Willie, Fred la Marmotte, and Shubenacadie Sam, to predict if spring will come early, or if winter will stick around for another six weeks.
Groundhog Day is always celebrated on February 2 and this year, that falls on a Sunday.
GROUNDHOG DAY 2025: Tune into The Weather Network on TV or follow along on our website as we track the early morning festivities in several communities!
How did Groundhog Day come to be?
The Groundhog Day tradition came to North America from German settlers in Pennsylvania.
The celebration dates back to Candlemas Day, a Christian holiday observed on February 2nd. Candlemas marked the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox and a day when clergy blessed candles for the upcoming year, If the weather on Candlemas was sunny, it would mean spring would have a late start, and winter would continue for six more weeks.
It is an ancient tradition, with the earliest-known recordings dating back to around 350 AD.
In Germany and other nearby regions, people also looked to the badger to predict the start of spring.
It was believed to emerge from its burrow on Candlemas to predict the upcoming season.
If the badger saw its shadow, it would retreat, signaling six more weeks of winter. If the day was cloudy and the badger didn’t see its shadow, it meant an early spring.
German settlers arriving in the U.S. quickly found out there were no badgers in Pennsylvania, so they went with the groundhog instead.
The real reason the groundhog comes out on February 2 has nothing to do with meteorology. It's more biology because they've been hibernating since October.
By the time February comes around, groundhogs are getting hungry and are looking for a mate.
This is probably a good thing because groundhogs aren't the most reliable meteorologists.
While it varies from groundhog to groundhog, their accuracy is typically in the 30-40 per cent range.
All graphics/images: File photos/Canva Pro/Cheryl Santa Maria.
