Posted on 02/02/2007 8:33:39 AM PST by sully777
Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil Predicts Early Spring: Thousands Flock To Punxsutawney, Pa., For Annual Rite
(CBS) PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. A new pair of hands pulled Punxsutawney Phil from his stump this year, so it was only fitting that the groundhog offered a new prediction. Phil did not see his shadow on Friday which, according to German folklore, means folks can expect an early spring instead of six more weeks of winter.
Since 1886, Phil has seen his shadow 96 times, hasn't seen it 14 times and there are no records for nine years, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. The last time Phil failed to see his shadow was in 1999.
More than 15,000 revelers milled about in a misty snow waiting for the prediction, as fireworks exploded overhead and the "Pennsylvania Polka" and other music blared in the background. Longtime handler Bill Deeley retired after more than a dozen years and was replaced Friday by Punxsutawney Groundhog Club Inner Circle members John Griffiths and Ben Hughes.
Each Feb. 2, thousands of people descend on Punxsutawney, a town of about 6,100 people about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, to celebrate what had essentially been a German superstition.
The Germans believed that if a hibernating animal cast a shadow on Feb. 2 - the Christian holiday of Candlemas - winter would last another six weeks. If no shadow was seen, legend said spring would come early.
Meanwhile, in a popular but lesser known groundhog event, Staten Island Chuck was looking for his shadow but he should have just looked up at the sky.
The groundhog at the Staten Island Zoo predicted Friday morning that Spring will arrive early this season. Minutes after the prediction was announced, however, snow flurries began falling on the crowd who came out to hear the news.
The weather service also said next week would have bone-chilling cold, with high temperatures barely breaking 20 in New York City and lower in the suburbs.
One thing is certain: The calendar says spring will arrive on March 20th.
He's about as accurate as the Weather Service.
Was Bill Murray there?
El Nino is collapsing which means harsher winter and China's stock market is collapsing which means harsher economy and Punxsutawney remains misspelled most of the time which means English is collapsing.
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