That wonderful time has come and gone again … the time we trust a rodent to predict the weather better than our paid professionals. Frankly, they’re probably equally bad at predicting the future, but that’s besides the point. The point is, this article is attacking our beloved, rodent-worshipping, weather predicting holiday. We can’t stand for this! Groundhog Day is a national holiday of incredible importance and historical meaning … right?

Well, sort of. Firstly, there really is a reason for the annual ritual of Groundhog Day. The date was chosen based on the original Celtic celebration of Imbolc, later changed to Candlemas. It celebrated the beginning of spring and the arrival of all good things that come with it. However, certain groups had a bonus belief that a sunny Candlemas signified 40 more days of snow. Eventually the Germans added onto this belief further by defining a day as “sunny” only if badgers and other animals came out and saw their own shadows. When American immigration began, Germans brought the custom with them, replacing badgers with the very common groundhog. Eventually, in 1887, a local newspaper editor sold the idea of a modern Candlemas celebration to a group of businessmen and the now famous Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. And so, Groundhog Day was born. So obviously it’s important and religiously based, so there’s no way it’s as dumb as the article proposes. Every year, just like our ancestors, The special Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club puts on their ceremonial top hats, conduct the meeting, and speak fluent Groundhogese to the 130 year-old groundhog (who has survived this long thanks to a magical punch he drinks provided by the Inner Circle during summer) in front of a crowd of more than thousands.

Oh. Maybe it is a bit odd.

Well, it is true that Phil only has a 40 percent success rate for his predictions. But he’s been a unique public figure for a long time. During Prohibition, he was ready to call down 60 weeks of winter unless he got an alcoholic beverage; he announced publicly in 1958 that a “United States Chucknik” was the official term for the man-made satellite that orbited Earth; in 1981 he wore a yellow ribbon to honor American hostages in Iran; met US President Ronald Reagan in 1986; met his state governor Dick Thornburgh in 1987; appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1995; did his first ever live broadcast in 2001; and of course, the blockbuster hit Groundhog Day centers around the titular date. And let’s be fair, a giant bunny leaving plastic eggs filled with candy is weird too, but you don’t see anyone complaining about that, do you?
In my opinion, Groundhog Day is not a stupid holiday at all. Sure it’s a bit odd, but they can’t all be Christmas. But it’s up to you to decide as well. Maybe you agree that Groundhog Day is comparable to purgatory, or maybe it’s culturally important, or maybe you don’t care. But that’s up to you. Whatever you think, let’s just hope he’s right this year, and winter is on its way out.