Groundhog Day is celebrated on Feb. 2 every year by allowing the groundhog to come out of its burrow and potentially see its shadow since 1887, but its roots date back even further than that.

Groundhog Day originated from an ancient Christian tradition called Candlemas, where clergy men would bless and administer candles for the winter.

The candles were used to represent how long and cold the winter would be that year.

In Germany, the concept of Groundhog Day was developed further when they began using hedgehogs as a way to predict the weather for the future.

German settlers in Pennsylvania continued this tradition but replaced the hedgehog with a slightly larger rodent, the groundhog.

Groundhogs were more common in Pennsylvania during the time.

Groundhog Day is still a big deal in Pennsylvania, especially in Punxsutawney, where the first official Groundhog Day celebration took place in 1887.

There is even an organization surrounding the famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil called the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.

Though Groundhog Day is a major event in Pennsylvania, many students at Eastern don’t see what all the fuss is about, such as Liam Hortenstine, a sophomore accounting major.

“I think it’s pretty neat,” Hortenstine said. “I don’t know if it should be considered a holiday, but I guess it’s cool.”

Hortenstine said he never really celebrated Groundhog Day, even when he was younger.

“It seems like a very frivolous holiday,” Hortenstine said. “It seems like the kind of thing where you just take a day off to take a day off. I mean, there’s no real meaning behind it.”

Junior communications disorders and sciences student Aysha Hutson said she didn’t know that Groundhog Day was celebrated, so she doesn’t have much attachment to the holiday.

“I think it’s cool, I guess,” Hutson said. “I kind of don’t look forward to it because I don’t want to know if it’s going to be another six weeks of winter, so I’m kind of indifferent about it.”

Brenden Applegate, a sophomore accounting student, says Groundhog Day doesn’t matter all that much to him.

“It’s just an odd day in American history,” Applegate said. “I don’t understand why we do it, but, I mean, it makes sense, it’s just odd.”

Applegate said he celebrated Groundhog Day when he was younger but hasn’t much since.

“At school it was kind of a popular thing to talk about and celebrate if we were going to have spring coming soon because everyone hates the cold,” Applegate said. “We would just talk about it at school and maybe have some candy and snacks.”

Hutson, like Applegate and Hortenstine, says she hopes the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow in hopes of an early spring.

“I definitely want an early spring because I hate winter,” Hutson said. “I just don’t enjoy being cold and I hate having to plan my outfits around walking in snow. I hate falling on ice because I’m very unstable on my own two feet.”

Punxsutawney Phil did see his shadow this morning, which means we are on the track for another six weeks of winter.

However, Illinois native groundhog Woodstock Willie, from the town the movie Groundhog Day featuring Bill Murray was filmed, did not see his shadow this morning, which could mean we might have an early spring.

Either way, Groundhog Day can still be celebrated by cooking some traditional groundhog stew or dirt pie, learning some groundhog trivia, or watching the iconic Groundhog Day.

Heather Vosburgh can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].