Mole ‘Phil’ emerged from his hibernating den this weekend In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania (United States), he did not see his shadow and a early springAt 7:22 a.m. (12:22 GMT) in front of hundreds of cheering and applauding celebrants, officiants of the ceremony read the message chosen by the famous rodent meteorologist, supposedly from Punxsutawney.
“Definitely, spring will come earlysaid one of the Mole Club members, commenting on the growls of the animal, which looked surprised and confused.
This is the twentieth time the groundhog has not seen its shadow since the tradition began in 1887. Legend has it that there are six weeks left in winter when there is enough sunlight for the animal to see its shadow..
Although tradition remains strong, According to the Stormfax Almanac, Phil’s prediction success rate is 36%..
According to this Mole Club It is stated that the animal from Punxsutawney saw its shadow 107 times, 20 times it did not, and no data were available for about 10 years at the end of the 19th century. In 1942 ‘Phil’ only partially saw his shadow and did not leave his lair the following year.
supernatural powers
Between 2013 and 2023, the groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter seven times, and was correct only once.
The Punxsutawney Mole Club claims it’s the same animal that’s been making predictions for 130 years, thanks to an “elixir of life”He maintains that Phil has a 100% accurate record.
The celebration in Punxsutawney, about 70 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, comes from the initiative of a group of hunters who adopted the rodent as a pet for a ritual every February 2.
There is ritual pagan roots attributes to animals supernatural powers between the winter equinox and the spring solstice.
The date falls on the following date according to the Christian calendar: Candlemas day Believers believe that a clear sky indicates that winter will last longer, and a cloudy day indicates that winter is approaching.
‘Phil’ isn’t the only meteorological mole, but he’s the most famous. Other places in North America also have their own: General Beau Lee (Atlanta), Wiarton Willie (Ontario, Canada), Sir Walter Wally (Raleigh, North Carolina), Jimmy (Wisconsin), Chuck (New York), Birmingham Bill (Birmingham, Alabama) and Potomac Phil, a stuffed groundhog in Washington, DC.