Phil Sees His Shadow and We Are Doomed For Six More Weeks of Winter

Did you know that the legend of Groundhog Day is based on an old Scottish couplet: "If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year." Well people in the United States and Canada take this couplet very serious. Every February 2nd, people gather at Gobbler's Knob, a wooded knoll just outside of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to hear (and the key word there is "hear") Phil's prediction. The residents in and around Punxsutawney contend that the groundhog has never been wrong.
So....with that said I must tell you that one of my favorite Bill Murray movies is called, "Ground Hog Day." It is about a news anchor covering the beloved celebration in Pennsylvania....who wakes up each morning to relive the day. What a nightmare that must be. It would be almost like having altzheimers. Yuck! Since today is really Ground Hog Day I thought I would tell you all I know about the event. The ceremony in Punxsutawney was held in secret until 1966, and only Phil's prediction was revealed to the public. Since then, Phil's fearless forecast has been a national media event. I could not wait to see what his prediction was this morning. I was almost late to work because of it.
Phil, the groundhog comes out of his electrically heated burrow, looks for his shadow and utters his prediction to a Groundhog Club representative in "groundhogese." The representative then translates the prediction for the general public. Come on people. Do you not have anything better to do on a cold February morning than this? Griefus! Anyways, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, it means six more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, it means spring is just around the corner. I know it is amazing...but about 90% of the time, Phil sees his shadow. Do the math people...the first day of spring is six weeks from today.
Did you know that Phil started making these predictions in 1887 and has become an American institution? You know people have some of the strangest customs and celebrations....don't you think? Can you help me find some other weird and unusual customs. If you find one drop me a line as a comment. I need a good laugh today....after all...we are in for a long, hard winter. Sigh! I don't know about you...but I am ready to trade my boots in for some flip flops.