Groundhog day, not just a film!

Yo!

So this morning, having woken up to Sonny and Cher's I got you Babe and the radio presenters informing me that it is "cooooooold outside today", I walked through the snow to present a news item about the Groundhog Punpunxsutawney phil and whether he comes out of his hole or retreats in. For this would determine the next few weeks of weather...

It was at this point I thought to myself Didn't this happen yesterday?

I am sorry to those of you who have never seen the 1993 film 'Groundhog Day' starring the brilliant Bill Murray as that opening paragraph will make absolutely zero sense to you.

This image is actually a lot cleverer than I first realised ... Bill Murray is literally 'Stuck in Time'/

I am also sorry to those who you haven't seen 'Groundhog day' because, well, you haven't seen 'Groundhog day'!

I mean, If you have never seen 'Groundhog day' you don't know the pleasure of saying

"Phil? Hey, Phil? Phil! Phil Connors? Phil Connors, I thought that was you!"

NED RYERSON? BING!

But do you know what, I am not here to talk about the amazing film that is Groundhog day!

Really, it's all you've done so far! 

Shut up you!

If I were to review it I'd give it a solid 4.5/5, it has everything you'd want in a film, large rodents, monotonous repetition, Bill Murray, Ice sculptures! 

I am here to talk about the actual event, Groundhog Day..

Groundhog Day

(You will notice in this blog that every fact you learn about this event only opens up new questions... Until inevitably you question your own sanity)

If you go to the following website www.groundhog.org you will find a website currently declaring 

When you look at this picture you are probably thinking; this is a series of words, statements and a picture that have literally no correlation. You might also be thinking, gosh that website uses a lot of exclamation marks!!!!!!

How has Phil predicted an early spring? 

What has this got to do with the lack of shadow? 

Why is that man on the left re-enacting Lion King with a giant Guinea Pig?

These are a few of the questions you may be asking at this point and this is only the start. 

Groundhog day is a celebration in North America (Yes, the U.S.A and Canada) where people, in a variety of locations across the continent gather in large groups to watch a Groundhog either leave, or decide not to leave, his home.

If the Groundhog leaves his home (also known as 'Not seeing his shadow) then Spring will come early.

If the Groundhog stays in his home due to 'seeing his shadow' then there will be six more weeks of winter.

Specifically Six.

No More.

Mo Less.

Don't question it... this is science.

Is this what Science is like? I dropped it after G.C.S.E

Actually do question it... it is ridiculous.

Here are three questions I had after the introduction.

Question 1) What is a Groundhog?

Answer)  A Groundhog is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. They look like this;

Yeah what you lookin' at!

Groundhogs are also known by two other names which are...

A woodchuck! You've heard of a Woodchuck, y'know from wondering the amount of wood they could chuck under a specific circumstance in which they lack the ability to chuck wood.

It turns out that he would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood as a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood, but he can't because he is too busy looking for his shadow...

A Whistle-pig

A WHISTLE-PIG!!!!!! Did you every hear a word (two words? a hyphenated word? hyphenated words?) as good as Whistle-Pig?

Stop what you are doing (which I realise is probably reading this Blog) and appreciate the fact that it is called a Whistle-Pig...

I am so Happy right now.

Question 2) How many people go to see this?

Answer) Well, as mentioned before, Groundhog Day events (each having the emergence, or non-emergence of their own Groundhog) happen all over North America. From Columbus, Ohio to Wiarton, Ontario. From Nova Skotia to Texas... but the largest event  is in... 

(anti-climactic drum-roll please)

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. (Which is the setting of the 1993 film...damn I mentioned it again)

'ugh, I should have stayed inside'

Over 40,000 people go the Punxsutawney event every year on February 2nd, to see, the aptly named, 'Punxsutawney Phil' do his thing!

40,000! That is more than the population of Worksop.

This is a picture of the entire population of Worksop cheering that their town was mentioned in an obscure blog
You cannot hear them cheering... because it is a picture.

Question 3) Does the Whistle-Pig actually know if Winter is coming to an end

Answer) No

Here are Questions I had after the first Question and Answer session (also known as Question Questions, or Questceptions);

Questception 1) Do all meteorological-future-predicting Woodchucks have cool names like 'Punxsutawney Phil'.

Answer) Damn straight they do!

Like Dunkirk Dave in Dunkirk, New York or Balzac Billy in Balzac, Alberta or Chattanooga Chuck in Chattanooga, Tennessee

I could list these off all day!

I'll do some more. 

There is Lawrenceville Lucy in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania, the first female Groundhog to publicly predict the end of winter, who predicted an early spring in 2015.

What about Holstville Hal who in 2011 predicted six more weeks of winter in, you guessed it, Holtsville, New York.

Also, in Val d'Espoir, Quebec they have a Groundhog called...

Fred

UPDATED ANSWER) No, they don't all have cool names like 'Punxsutawney Phil'

Damn it FRED!

Questception 2) Who are these 40,000+ people who go to this event.

Answer) We have to assume morons. People with either a lot of time on their hands or a real lack of scientific understanding.

Question that has arisen from Questception 2) Nic, Would you go to Punxatawney to watch what Phil does?

Answer) If I had the opportunity to, I would be there quicker than A groundhog emerges from his home on February the 2nd if he hasn't seen his shadow and Spring is coming early!

Groundhog day is not all fun and games though guys, no... this year in Manitoba, home of Woodchuck, Winnipeg Willow, they have suffered terribly. On Saturday the 30th of January 2016, only 3 days before the big day itself...

Winnipeg Willow died.

The city of Manitoba literally cancelled the entire event. They are in mourning. Why wouldn't they be... look at the little thing

Yeah try and replace me, Manitoba!

Rest in Peace Willow, safe in the knowledge that never again will a ridiculously large crowd try and coax you out of your home in the vague hope that they won't have to suffer winter any longer... in Canada... where it is Winter until June, how futile! 

Wait a minute, perhaps she committed suicide.

This Blog got dark, which proves that if you talk to yourself about anything for long enough... you will go down a dark path. I am, as predicted, questioning my sanity.

So as another Groundhog day draws to an end, and Punxsutawney Phil has predicted an early Winter, I hope you all feel happier for knowing these basic Groundhog Day facts!

If you have any questions yourself, feel free to leave comments below.

Seeya!