INSTINCT
Groundhog Day
Punxsutawney, United States
As early as 1886, German immigrants here observed Groundhog Day and established the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club in 1899. According to folklore, if the hibernating groundhog—known as Punxsutawney Phil—leaves its burrow on February 2 and sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. The legend is based on a European custom predicting the length of winter by weather conditions on Candlemas, an ancient Christian festival.