Do you know what happens on Feb. 2 every year? Well that day is Groundhog Day, a holiday only celebrated in America and Canada.

Groundhog Day is adapted from the German holiday called Candlemas Day, which happens between the Winter and Spring Solstice. For this holiday people would get candles from the clergy and light them. Then however long these candles lasted told how cold the winter was going to be that year.

This holiday was brought over to the United States in the 1700s (Stormfax), but it was celebrated for the first time in 1887 at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

Groundhog Day is celebrated to see if the winter will be long or if spring will be coming sooner each year. However, this is decided is by, well, a groundhog. Once it comes out of its hole, if it sees its shadow then there will be another six weeks of winter. If it does not see its shadow then spring will come earlier (History.com). However, in the past, it has been found that whether or not the Groundhog sees its shadow the duration of time before spring is not affected except in name, despite what is believed.

Also, here’s a fun fact, the groundhogs used for this holiday are named Punxsutawney Phil. Every single Pennsylvanian groundhog used since 1887 has been named Phil. (Tripsavvy.com)

Make sure you tune in today to see a cute little animal determine whether the winter will be longer, or if springtime will come sooner.