Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his stump at Gobbler’s Knob this morning and did not see his shadow — thus predicting an early spring.
The annual Feb. 2 ritual has been taking place about 85 miles northeast of Pittsburgh since the late 19th century. It “has roots in ‘ancient, undoubtedly prehistoric, weather lore,'” according to the Associated Press.
This year’s ceremony can be viewed below.
While Wikipedia argues that Groundhog Day is “based upon a communal light-hearted suspension of disbelief,” and Fox Weather pegs Punxy Phil’s predictive accuracy at just 39%, maybe there’s something to be said for the staying power of a weather-predicting rodent — even one that’s wrong more often than right.
The national media and tens of thousands of groundhog faithful still dutifully converge on Punxsutawney every year. What else in American life that dates back to the 1800s has that kind of draw today, in 2024? Even the World Series, contested since 1903, is a late comer by comparison.
So this morning, on Groundhog Day, we’re asking our well-educated, worldly Arlington readers: despite what the so-called experts might say, do you believe in the groundhog? Maybe just a little?