Groundhog Day 用英文介绍

Groundhog Day 用英文介绍

Groundhog Day falls on February 2 and centers on the idea of the groundhog coming out of its home to “predict” the weather.
Groundhog Day is not a public holiday,but it is very popular in many parts of the US.The official groundhog,Punxsutawney Phil,which was named after King Phillip,lives in Punxsutawney,Pennsylvania.The town has attracted thousands of visitors over the years to experience various Groundhog Day events and activities.News reporters,locals and visitors meet together on February 2 each year to await Phil’s appearance and his weather prediction.Many weather researchers questioned the groundhog’s accuracy in predicting the weather,but some of the groundhog’s fans may not agree.
But how did the groundhog get a day of his own?
Thousands of years ago,people in the area of Europe now known as Germany believed that the badger (獾) had the power to predict the coming of spring.They watched the badger to know when to plant their crops.By the time the first Germans settled in Pennsylvania they probably understood that this was not true,but the tradition continued.
However,there were not many badgers in Pennsylvania so the groundhog was used instead of the badger.The tradition is that if the groundhog sees its shadow on February 2 it will be frightened by it and will return to its home,meaning that there will be six more weeks of winter.If it does not see its shadow,then spring is on the way.
Of course,spring always arrives on or near March 21,so whether the groundhog decides to return to his home or to stay above ground,the sad fact is that people will always have to wait for at least six more weeks.