We once lived within 2 hours of Punxsutawney, PA.
noun: Groundhog Day
February 2, when the groundhog is said to come out of its hole at the end of hibernation. If the animal sees its shadow – i.e., if the weather is sunny – it is said to portend six weeks more of winter weather.
The legend of Punxsutawney Phil is one that should be respected although his prognostications tend to fall short of any reliability (you’re better off trusting a coin toss). I planned two trips to this unusual gem and both times the weather did not cooperate. So in all honesty I can’t describe first hand what a Groundhog Celebration in Punxsutawney, PA, is like but I can offer readers a glimpse of this year’s events:
Wednesday, Feb 1, 2023
Gobbler’s Knob Got Talent. 1:00pm-3:00 pm
Groundhog Club Members Only Reception. 3:30-5:30 pm
Annual Groundhog Banquet. Doors open 5:30 pm, Banquet begins 6:00 pm
Dueling Pianos. Doors open at 8:00 pm. Event begins at 9:00 pm-12:00 am
Thursday, Feb 2, 2023
Gobbler’s Knob Grounds will open at 3:00 am
Friday, Feb 3, 2023
The Groundhog Ball at the Punxsutawney Country Club. 7:00-11:00 pm
Saturday, Feb 4, 2023
Lunch with Phil at Gobbler’s Knob Visitors Center Hall. 11:00 am-1:00 pm
And for perspective, this town boasts 5,700 residents on its biggest days; come Feb 2 they welcome as many as 40,000 new friends! I even learned that a film professor from down under decided to watch the movie “Groundhog Day” in its entirety … every day … for a year.
We’ve been in a loop ourselves of repeat days as we wind down Day 3 of weather-related school closure and have Day 4 bringing much of the same. In Texas, this month generally proves to be our nemesis with cold bursts and icy roads – Punxsutawney Phil may have better odds calling our weather than speaking for winter nationwide!
February is also Black History Month and this month’s designation to remember the accomplishments and contributions of the Black community. The general consensus is that February was chosen because of the birthdates of two of the most influential figures in American history, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. We’ve been on a bit of a loop as well with history…
My oldest will attend his first professional engineering conference this weekend in Atlanta as a student ambassador – I sent him a note about walking through Hartsfield-Jackson in the summer of 2006 and being a part of a spontaneous crowd applause for troops returning from Afghanistan. It was such a cool impromptu experience, and it definitely impacted my world view.
What a loop this month offers: it’s short on days, adds one every four years, throws in Cupid, and reminds us about the work we still have with one another. Maybe February is on a loop for a reason; maybe Groundhog Day the movie recognized we need to keep at it until we get it right.
What if? Why Not? 