Legendary Groundhog Declares 'Six More Weeks Of Winter'

'As the sky shines right above me, my shadow I see beside me - six more weeks of winter it will be!' This was the dire prediction that legendary groundhog 'Punxsutawney Phil', made yesterday, in front of thousands of people gathered in the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

According to the legend, if Phil sees his shadow, he scampers back into his hole, indicating that winter is likely to continue for at least another six weeks! If he stays out, it means that spring is around the corner - which obviously did not happen this year!

Groundhog day was started by German Settlers who came to Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th century.

Since then, the holiday is celebrated all across the United States, every February 2nd.

While there are many groundhogs and even an armadillo (in Texas ) who make predictions in other cities of the United States, Punxsutawney Phil is the most famous.

That's because according to local folklore, Phi, kept alive by a magic potion is 123 years old, and has been predicting the weather for over 110 years now.

If that wasn't enough, the little critter received international recognition after he was featured in a 1993 movie called 'Groundhog Day'.

Groundhogs, also called Woodchucks, Land Beavers or Whistle Pigs are the largest members of the squirrel family, and grow between 17-26 inches in length and up to 4lbs in weight. Unlike Phil, these largely herbivorous animals have a lifespan of between 6-8 years in the wild.

Whether Phil can truly predict the weather is matter of opinion. Weather experts say he has been right only 39% of the time, while the folks at Punxsutawney say he has a perfect record - Either way, the event sure makes for a great party!

sources:wikipedia.org,huffingtonpost.com,news8austin.com