Groundhog Day 2013

• Groundhog Day 2013

In the US, traditionally celebrated Groundhog Day. At a ceremony in the city of Panksutoni (Pennsylvania) "popular weatherman" - Groundhog Phil pulled out of improvised holes, and he says, when will the winter, if the groundhog sees its shadow, and hides back into the hole - ie, if the day is sunny,.. the arrival of spring to wait another six weeks, but if the animal does not see his shadow -.. ie the day is overcast - spring will be early.

Turn songs, to which Phil played by Bill Murray in the hit film "Groundhog Day" wakes up every morning of February 2:

February 2, 2013, 07:00 am, the city of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. 35,000 people are languishing in anticipation of the weather forecast from the oracle of the animal world.

This fun tradition is rooted in German rites. However, "national forecaster" then was not marmot and badger, and his behavior should not be at the beginning of February and in March.

Subsequently, predict the weather in Europe have become bears and hedgehogs, simply put those animals which in winter hibernate. Soon, this tradition was brought to the United States by European immigrants.

In the morning in the town of Punxsutawney was pretty cool, a crowd of thousands was warmed by the fires.

February 2, 1886 in the town of Punxsutawney (Pennsylvania) in the local newspaper published a humorous note: "Today is Groundhog Day, and the data obtained by our correspondent, animal did not see his shadow. So, it will soon come spring. " And the "prediction" come true. Groundhog forecaster, Phil.

In this humorous note, it was stated, and the best place where marmots most accurately predicts the arrival of spring - turkey hill on the outskirts of the city. The very next year, February 2 there is a crowd of local residents wanting to know weather forecast of "popular weatherman."

Member of the "Club of Friends of Phil." He walks with a thermometer on a hill of turkey. The temperature there was around minus 17 Celsius.

In 1887, after another joke in the newspaper it was created "Punxsutawney Groundhog Club", and in early 1888 for the animal house was built - a makeshift hole - on turkey hill.

marmot name came up immediately. First it was "groundhog from Punxsutawney," then it was called Pete and finally Phil. Now Groundhog official name is: Phil of Punxsutawney. This seer of seers, sage of sages and soothsayer of soothsayers!

There are no miracles, and sometimes mathematics. In practice, the famous oracle predictions come true less than 50% of cases, but this did not upset the United States. Groundhog fans at all assured that his predictions come true with an accuracy of 75-90%. In any case, it's a great excuse to have fun in the lovely city holiday.

This year, as in all the past, the famous groundhog Phil met with applause by thousands of people on the hill of turkey. Holiday begins the night loud music and the roar of fireworks. Exactly at 07:25 the members of the "Friends of Phil's Club", dressed traditionally in tuxedos and cylinders, pull the marmot from improvised mink-house, and he makes his forecast. It takes place in front of hundreds of thousands of people watched it live on TV and on the Internet.

Groundhog pulled out of the hole.

Read out the weather forecast on behalf of the forecaster Phil. Groundhog did not see his shadow (it was cloudy), then spring will come soon.

Then sleepy groundhog Phil are on a special stage, so that everyone could see him. For example, last year to look at the wonderful predictor of almost 50 thousand people came from the animal world.

In the photo session the next round in the city center, where the start of holiday festivities. Only at the end of the day the oracle Phil returns home.

In recent years, animal protection societies have expressed their outrage custom rudely awaken the sleeping animal, pulling it to the public and carry throughout the city under a flash photo and video cameras, claiming that it is harmful to his body.

Environmentalists argue that life groundhog predictor takes in captivity no more than 10 years, which is much shorter than that of free animals. But the "Club of Friends of Phil" assures that all is just the opposite - the oracles of fauna live almost twice as long as wild.

However, animal rights groups do not offer long-term to interrupt the folk tradition of predicting the weather, and the use to use fake or fabricate a robot on a holiday.

Since 2010, Punxsutawney started selling tickets for "Breakfast with Phil," where visitors can not only take pictures with a Marmot, by and feed him peanuts. It is also possible to get weather forecast via SMS Groundhog Phil.

By the way Phil of Punxsutawney - is not the only groundhog-weather forecaster in the United States. Still there is Chuck - official groundhog meteorologist in New York, started its forecasts in 1981 (a few years ago almost took a bite at the festivities finger the mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg), marmot Sam from Shubenakeydi in Nova Scotia and marmot meteorologist Willie out of town in the Canadian province of Ontario. However, of these, few have heard, and they can not compete with Phil in popularity and credibility.

In 2012, the groundhog predicted residents of the United States a long winter. And this year, the Americans have long to wait for spring, for Phil, who became world famous thanks to the movie "Groundhog Day" with Bill Murray, did not see his own shadow.