Groundhog Day 2023

Groundhog Day 2023 is on Thursday, February 2, 2023 (in 251 days).  Calendar for 2023

Groundhog Day 2022 has already passed: it was on Wednesday, February 2, 2022 (113 days ago).  Calendar for 2022

Groundhog Day refers to a popular American folk tradition centered, in modern times, on the Groundhog Day Ceremony held annually on February 2 in Punxsutawney, western Pennsylvania. During this ceremony a groundhog, representing the semi-mythical 'Punxsutawney Phil', is observed leaving its burrow. According to tradition, if the groundhog sees its shadow it will return to its burrow, foretelling a further six weeks of cold weather. If the groundhog does not see its shadow, winter ends and spring weather is on its way. Needless to say, there is no scientific basis for this belief, and Phil gets it wrong more often than not!

The origins of Groundhog Day lie in Pennsylvanian Dutch traditions, and appear to relate to old beliefs that clear skies on the festival of Candlemas (also on February 2) indicate an extended period of cold weather. Groundhog Day is now celebrated not only in Pennsylvania, but in other areas of the United Sates and in Canada.

Following the 1993 comedy 'Groundhog Day' starring Bill Murray, the term has become associated with unpleasant or tedious events that occur repeatedly without significant change. Lexico.com defines it as "a situation in which a series of unwelcome or tedious events appear to be recurring in exactly the same way: she lived an unrelenting Groundhog Day of laundry, shopping, and rearing us kids". The term was even used in the parliament of once-Great Britain when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is widely considered to be buffoonish, mendacious and incompetent but occasionally clever with words, referred to the long-running Brexit discussions as 'groundhoggery'.

Further reading:

• Groundhog Day on Wikipedia
• Groundhog Day (film) on Wikipedia
• The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, organizers of the Groundhog Day ceremony

Groundhog Day 2024 is on Friday, February 2, 2024 (in 616 days).  Calendar for 2024

Dates of Groundhog Day 2023 and surrounding years as downloadable image file

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