How to Celebrate Groundhog Day

In most parts of the country, gray, dismal February needs all the festivity a person can give it. Why else would people build a holiday around a rodent emerging from his hole? On February 2, 2007, a groundhog named Phil will make his 121st appearance in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to the acclaim of TV news teams, local onlookers and revelers from around the world.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Stuffed Animals
• Movie Videos
• Portable CD Players
• Prizes
• Airline Tickets To Pennsylvania

1. Visit Punxsutawney and get in on the festivities. The town plans a weekend full of them every year, ranging from pancake breakfasts and charity flea markets to square dances and parades.

2. Attend a Groundhog Day festival closer to home; more and more towns are staging them each year.

3. Hold your own Groundhog Day party. You don't even need a groundhog: any critter (or human) will do for the starring role. Simply have your star emerge from a hiding place, glance at the ground and scurry back. If there's enough sunlight to cast a shadow, you'll have six more weeks of winter; if the day is overcast, spring is heading your way fast.

4. Play Hot Hog, in which the players stand in a circle while music plays. The players pass around a stuffed toy groundhog. When the music stops, the player left holding the groundhog is out.

5. Try Toss the Hog, in which players try to throw the stuffed groundhog into a basket. Award prizes for various categories, such as the greatest number of successful throws, the longest throws or the best behind-the-back toss.

6. Fix yourself a warming drink, snuggle in away from the February chill and watch the movie "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray.

Tips & Warnings

• Groundhog Day is actually a modern adaptation of a much older February 2nd holiday called Candlemas, which in turn grew out of the ancient celebration of Imbolc. For a slightly different slant on the day's festivities, see "How to Celebrate Candlemas," under Related eHows.

[healthtracker]

on 2/2/2009 Hey good post. Today is my birthday. I celebrate it all the time. I am a groundhog.

[SuckMyDick]

on 2/5/2007 Just use it as a reason to get really ****ed up. If the 'hog sees his shadow drink dark beers, or shots of dark spirits. No shadow, then shotgun some pale ale. Its a bull **** holiday so why not drink to it?

on 2/23/2006 In many grocery stores around the country, you can find groundhog meat around Groundhog Day. I discovered this exactly two years ago when I met a girl who celebrates Groundhog Day every year by fixing a meal using ground groundhog instead of ground beef. I thought it tasted OK, but not as good as beef.

on 2/23/2006 For those unable to be in Punxsutawney at the center of the action, through groundhog.visitpa.com, Internet users can scan Phil's haunt using two cameras positioned above the stage where he will make his appearance. A third camera is positioned behind the viewing area where the crowd will gather. Users can control the cameras, zooming and panning over the action.
And, as a little known fact, you can actually see Phil 24/7, 365 days a year online at VisitPA.com via a live web cam in the Groundhog Zoo, where he resides with his family throughout the year.

on 2/23/2006 If you're in the Raleigh area, check out the Groundhog Day festivities run by the NC Museum of Natural Sciences downtown. You can meet the groundhog (Sir Walter Wally) up close after the ceremony, there are goodies and educational activities for kids, and teachers can sign up for their classes to participate in the annual Weather Watch.