Do you believe a groundhog can predict when spring will arrive?
Groundhog Day is a fun holiday that takes place every year in the USA and Canada on February 2nd, and in some other countries on a different date.
Let’s learn about Groundhog’s Day celebrations together with Clever Hedgehog!
Figuring out when warm weather was coming was once very important for farmers to know when it was safe to plant new crops. Nowadays, we rely on meteorologists and weather forecasts. But in some countries, people still like to ask a groundhog what the weather is going to be like!
Groundhog Day is a fun holiday that takes place every year on February 2nd in the USA and Canada.
Legend says that when a groundhog wakes up from hibernation (winter sleep) and peeks out of its burrow if it sees its shadow, it gets scared and hides back underground. That means 6 more weeks of winter! But if he doesn’t see his shadow, it means that spring will start early.
Meet the Most Famous Groundhogs
Let’s see if all these famous groundhogs were right with their forecasts!
Punxsutawney Phil
The most famous groundhog in the world lives in his burrow near Punxsutawney (Pennsylvania, USA). His name is Punxsutawney Phil. Every February 2nd, thousands of people come to see how Phil makes his prediction about the coming of spring.
This year, an early spring was predicted. This has only happened 20 times in the celebration’s recorded history.
Shubenacadie Sam
Shubenacadie Sam is a Canadian groundhog who lives in the town of Shubenacadie (Nova Scotia, Canada). Every year, Shubenacadie Sam makes the earliest prediction in North America. While Sam’s predictions have never been wrong, sometimes, the weather is wrong.
Shubenacadie Sam also predicted an early spring this year.
Tymko
Ukraine also has groundhogs that predict spring coming. However, this tradition is not very old.
This year, the people of Kharkiv region gathered to celebrate the 20th Groundhog Day with Tymko, the most famous groundhog in Ukraine.
Tymko predicted an early spring in Ukraine this year.
Did you know?
Although groundhogs are often called woodchucks, they didn’t get their name from chucking wood. It comes from a Native American name “wuchak“. Young groundhogs may be called chucklings.
Although groundhogs are often called woodchucks, they didn’t get their name from chucking wood. It comes from a Native American name “wuchak“. Young groundhogs may be called chucklings.
This led to a funny tongue-twister:
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
As much wood as a woodchuck could chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Let’s have a contest!
Clever Hedgehog can say this tongue twister very fast. How fast can you say it?
Send us your video to our email ebooks4ukrkids@udel.edu or tag us on Instagram and Facebook with #CleverHedgehogContest
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