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Table of Contents
Groundhog Day is traditionally a celebration of weather forecasting based on the predictions of a groundhog. The event occurs annually on the 2nd of February and is celebrated across the United States of America and in Canada.
See the fact file below for more information on Groundhog Day or download the BUMPER 22 worksheet pack which can be utilised within the classroom or home environment.
Groundhog Day Origin:
- Groundhog Day celebrations began as part of the Pennsylvanian German tradition during the 1800s. The German immigrants brought with them the tradition of Candlemas as Badger Day (Dachstag).
- The belief is that groundhogs are able to predict the weather and that when a sacred bear or badger emerges from its burrow and casts a shadow, winter will last for another six weeks. If the groundhog does not cast a shadow due to cloudy weather then spring will come early.
- According to German traditions, a badger is a weather forecasting animal. According to weather lore, badgers can predict the occurrence of prolonged winters.
- Groundhogs are omnivores. They can also climb trees and swim across lakes like beavers.
- Female groundhogs have babies called kits in litters of six to nine at a time. These babies spend several months with their mothers.
- Groundhogs eat large amounts of food during summer and sleep all through the winter. This process is called hibernation.
- Groundhogs are also known as woodchucks and belong to the rodent family.
- Candlemas was a Catholic festival that was celebrated even after it was discouraged by Protestant Reformists.
Groundhog Day Celebration:
- According to the diary of James L. Morris of Morgantown, Pennsylvania, Groundhog Day was first celebrated on February 2, 1840. However, It was not until 1886 when the day was officially commemorated and people started to gather at the Gobbler’s Knob to watch the prediction of the groundhog.
- The city editor of the Punxsutawney Spirit, Clymer Freas was known as the pioneer of Groundhog Day.
- Since 1880, Groundhog Day has been celebrated in Punxsutawney Elks Lodge. The Groundhog Club was then established and its members were known as the “Genesis.”
- Later in 1899, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club started the Groundhog Feast which included hunting as part of the ritual.
- There are approximately 40,000 people who attend the Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania annually.
- The second-largest celebration of the day is at the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas.
- Other parts of Pennsylvania also celebrate Groundhog Day including Quarryville, Schuylkill County, Sinnamahoning County, and Bucks County. In addition to these areas, Nova Scotia, in Canada, where the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park is located, also celebrates the day every year.
- In Pennsylvania, the groundhog is named Punxsutawney Phil while in New York it is known as Pothole Pete. In Wiarton, Ontario, Canada, the groundhog is named Wiarton Willie.
- Organizers of the Groundhog Day celebration claim that most of the predictions are 75% to 90% accurate.
- Other countries such as Serbia (Sretenje), Germany (Siebenschlaefer), the United Kingdom (St. Swithin’s Day), and Alaska (Marmot Day) also have similar spring forecasting traditions.
- In Russia, Groundhog Day is celebrated at zoos in Moscow, Samara, and St. Petersburg.
- In 1993, the movie “Groundhog Day” was filmed in Woodstock, Illinois.
Groundhog Worksheets
This BUMPER bundle includes over 22 ready-to-use Groundhog Day worksheets that are perfect for students to learn about Groundhog Day which is celebrated on February 2nd each year and according to folklore if it’s cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, then spring will come early.
Worksheet Pack 1:
This download includes the following worksheets:
- Groundhog Day Facts
- What is a Groundhog?
- Spring Forecasting Traditions
- Shadow or No Shadow?
- Rodent Family
- Top 5 Facts
- Matching Seasons
- Naming Groundhogs
- Word Banking
- My Winter and Spring
- Groundhog Day Celebration
Worksheet Pack 2
This download includes the following worksheets:
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- Groundhog Day Facts
- Groundhog Day Word Search
- Fact or Bluff
- Groundhog Day Word Scramble
- Who or What am I?
- My Weather Prediction
- Groundhog Day Poem
- Groundhog Day Prediction Timeline
- Groundhog Day Celebration
- Is Phil Accurate?
- Groundhog Day Acrostic
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Link will appear as Groundhog Day Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, January 27, 2024
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.