Groundhog Day 2026
funTuesday, February 2, 2027
142 days from today · next occurrence
About Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day, celebrated every February 2nd, is America's favorite weather prediction party. According to tradition, if a groundhog emerges from its burrow and sees its shadow, six more weeks of winter are on the way; if the day is cloudy and no shadow appears, spring will arrive early. The star of the show is Punxsutawney Phil, a groundhog in the small Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney who has been making annual forecasts since 1887.
The event is celebrated mainly in the United States and Canada, where several towns keep their own forecasting groundhogs, including Wiarton Willie in Ontario and Staten Island Chuck in New York. The custom traces back to European weather lore, when candles were lit on Candlemas Day to predict the length of winter, and German settlers in Pennsylvania substituted the hedgehog of their homeland with the abundant local groundhog.
What makes the holiday special is its cheerful absurdity. Tens of thousands of people travel to Punxsutawney, some arriving before dawn for the early morning ceremony at Gobbler's Knob, complete with top hats, fireworks, and a stage. The 1993 Bill Murray comedy Groundhog Day added a second life to the holiday, turning the phrase itself into shorthand for repeating the same day over and over.
When is Groundhog Day?
| Year | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | February 2, 2026 | Monday |
| 2027 | February 2, 2027 | Tuesday |
| 2028 | February 2, 2028 | Wednesday |
| 2029 | February 2, 2029 | Friday |
| 2030 | February 2, 2030 | Saturday |
History of Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day grew out of the European Candlemas tradition, an early Christian holiday on February 2nd in which clergy blessed candles and a sunny Candlemas supposedly meant a longer winter. German farmers added their own twist: if a hedgehog saw its shadow that day, winter would continue. When German settlers, known as the Pennsylvania Dutch, arrived in America and found no hedgehogs, they adopted the groundhog, a large rodent that actually hibernates through winter in the region.
The first documented American groundhog hunt and lore gathering took place in the 1880s, and the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club declared February 2, 1887 the first official celebration, naming Punxsutawney Phil the official forecaster. The club's Inner Circle, recognizable by their top hats, still conducts the ceremony in the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect. Phil's predictions are, of course, entertainment rather than science, and his accuracy rate hovers around 40 percent, but the tradition has endured for well over a century.
How to Celebrate Groundhog Day
- Watch the live Punxsutawney Phil ceremony online or attend it in Pennsylvania.
- Play your own shadow game and guess whether Phil will see his.
- Watch the classic 1993 film Groundhog Day with friends.
- Learn about hibernation and how groundhogs really spend the winter.
- Host a winter-themed brunch to break up the mid-winter stretch.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When is Groundhog Day?
- Groundhog Day is celebrated every year on February 2nd, regardless of the day of the week.
- Is Groundhog Day a public holiday?
- No, it is not a public holiday. Schools, offices, and businesses run as usual, though the ceremony in Punxsutawney draws huge crowds.
- How do people celebrate Groundhog Day?
- Fans gather at Gobbler's Knob before dawn, watch the prediction live on TV or online, rewatch the Bill Murray movie, and joke about six more weeks of winter.
- How accurate is Punxsutawney Phil?
- Not very. Phil's forecasts are a fun tradition rather than real meteorology, and his long-term accuracy rate is estimated at around 40 percent.