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1. The Groundhog Day tradition, made famous by a 1993 film in which Bill Murray repeats the same day again and again, dates back to 1886. 2. The tradition began in Europe with Candlemas Day
when hedgehogs or badgers predicted the weather. German settlers brought it to America. 3. Groundhogs are also known as woodchucks, land beavers or whistle-pigs. 4. “Punxsutawney Phil, Seer
of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Weather Prophet Extraordinary” is Phil’s full name. 5. If Phil cannot see his shadow on February 2, an early spring is
predicted. A shadow means six more weeks of winter. EXCITED CROWDS GATHER AHEAD OF 2018 GROUNDHOG PREDICTION 6. According to the Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle, Phil is never wrong… 7. …but
meteorological records suggest that his accuracy is no more than 39 per cent. 8. Forecasts take place at Gobbler’s Knob. Knob is an old word for a hill; Gobblers refers to turkeys. 9.
Milwaukee Zoo’s groundhog forecaster died last year so they are using a polar bear this time. 10. Staten Island also has a forecasting groundhog called Charles G Hogg VII, also known as
Chuck.