The origins of Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil

By MARK SCOLFORO
Associated Press

KUTZTOWN, Pa. (AP) — The spotlight returns to Gobbler’s Knob in western Pennsylvania this week, when handlers of a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil will announce his verdict — six more weeks of winter or an early spring. Thousands are expected to attend the annual event that exploded in popularity after the 1993 Bill Murray movie, “Groundhog Day.” It’s part of a tradition rooted in European agricultural life and marks the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Phil predicts more winter far more often than he predicts an early spring. Several who have looked at his record have concluded Phil’s weather reports are worse than an even-money bet.