It’s official, Snerd has spoken. Garner’s beloved furry weather expert Snerd popped out of his hole and gave his official Groundhog Day prediction yesterday.
Looks like we’ll be experiencing an early Spring since Snerd did not see his shadow.
The tradition of Groundhog Day is believed to have originated in Pennsylvania during the 18th and 19th century as a European legend. Fun fact: Original deciders were not groundhogs — it was actually decided by a badger or a sacred bear.
Groundhog Day has roots in both the medieval Catholic holiday of Candlemas and the Pagan festival of Imbolc, both of which involve weather predictions. Early Christians believed clear skies on Candlemas meant a longer winter. German settlers brought this tradition to America, replacing badgers with groundhogs.
In 1886, Clymer H. Freas, editor of the Punxsutawney Spirit Newspaper, declared Punxsutawney Phil the official weather forecaster, starting the annual tradition.
