The bizarre history of Groundhog Day

Every year, Americans in snowy states wait with bated breath to see whether Punxsutawney Phil will spot his shadow. And every year, we take Phil's weather forecast - six more weeks of winter, or an early spring? - as gospel, meteorology be damned.

It's about as strange (and cute) as holidays get. So how did Groundhog Day go from a kooky local tradition to an annual celebration even those of us who don't worry about winter can find the fun in?

We explore Groundhog Day's origins from a tiny event to an American holiday we can all be proud of. Spoiler: there are badgers, immortality and at least one groundhog on the menu.

Every February 2, the members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club trek to Gobbler's Knob, Punxsutawney Phil's official home just outside of town. Donning top hats and tuxedos, the group waits for Phil to leave his burrow, and if he sees his shadow, the town gets six more weeks of winter. If he doesn't see his shadow, Punxsutawney gets an early spring.

But the early seeds of the Groundhog Day we know today were planted thousands of years ago, according to Dan Yoder, a folklorist "born and raised in the Groundhog Country of Central Pennsylvania" who penned the definitive history of the folk holiday turned national tradition.

The holiday evolved over centuries as it was observed by different groups, from the Celts to Germans to the Pennsylvania Dutch and eventually, by those in other parts of the US. Its evolution began in the pre-Christian era of Western Europe, when the Celtic world was the predominant cultural force in the region. In the Celtic year, instead of solstices, there were four dates - similar to the dates we use today to demarcate the seasons - that were the "turning points" of the year. One of them, per Yoder, was February 1.

These turning point dates were so essential to Europeans at the time that they Christianized them when Western Europe widely adopted Christianity. While May 1 became May Day, and November 1 became All Saints' Day, the February 1 holiday was pushed to the following day - and would eventually become Groundhog Day.