Groundhog Day 2012: History, Where to Watch Online

Groundhog Day 2012 is February 2nd, where Punxsutawney Phil will predict the fate of winter for 126th time.

When will Punxsutawney Phil make his prediction?
Punxsutawney Phil will emerge from his burrow at Gobbler's Knob at 7:20 a.m EST. Festivities for the day began at 6 a.m. 

Watch Punxsutawney Phil's prediction online.
If you can't be in Punxsutawney this year for Groundhog Day, you can watch Phil predict the weather online at the Visit Pennsylvania website just a few minutes before he makes his way above ground. 

History of Punxsutawney Phil

The very first "official" Groundhog Day was held on February 2nd, 1887, although there had been other predictions from Phil in the past. Punxsutawney Phil is named after King Phillip, although he was once called Briar Groundhog. 

Although there are other groundhogs that claim to be able to predict the weather, Punxsutawney Phil is the only groundhog with these powers. There has been, and always will be, only one weather predicting groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil. He has been predicting the weather since the early 1800's and members of the Inner Circle give him a special, secret elixir to keep him alive. 
There are 15 members of the Inner Circle, those who take care of Phil and plan his festivities on February 2nd. They are mostly old men in top hats and can speak the language known as - you guessed it - Groundhog. Phil will speak his predictions in the secret language to the President of the Inner Circle for him to translate it to the world. Other Inner Circle members call themselves Fair Weathermen and Windmakers (I wonder if the latter has anything to do with old age and walking farts). 

Weather is weather and we can't change it. I think the only thing we can do is hope that we don't find ourselves waking up on Groundhog Day over and over and over.... and over again.

Videos

Bill Murray - Best scenes from the movie "Groundhog Day"

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sourced by Emily Sutherlin