Related News
Long winter ahead as groundhog sees shadow
Source: Agencies |
February 3, 2009, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE world's most famous groundhog saw his shadow yesterday morning, predicting the already long winter will last for six more weeks.
Punxsutawney Phil emerged just after dawn in front of an estimated 13,000 witnesses. The annual ritual takes place on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, a borough of about 6,100 residents 105 kilometers northeast of Pittsburgh, in the United States.
The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club announced the forecast in a short proclamation, in which Phil acknowledged the Super Bowl football championship win of the Pittsburgh Steelers over the Arizona Cardinals.
According to German superstition, if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on February 2 ?? the Christian holiday of Candlemas ?? winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says spring will come early.
Since 1887, Phil has seen his shadow 97 times, hasn't seen it 15 times, and there are no records for nine years, according to the Groundhog Club.
Rowley said the Groundhog Day festivities is the state of Pennsylvania's largest tourist gathering in the winter. And if Phil's forecast proves correct it should bring even more tourists to the state.
"It's six more weeks of skiing," Rowley said.
Punxsutawney Phil emerged just after dawn in front of an estimated 13,000 witnesses. The annual ritual takes place on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, a borough of about 6,100 residents 105 kilometers northeast of Pittsburgh, in the United States.
The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club announced the forecast in a short proclamation, in which Phil acknowledged the Super Bowl football championship win of the Pittsburgh Steelers over the Arizona Cardinals.
According to German superstition, if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on February 2 ?? the Christian holiday of Candlemas ?? winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says spring will come early.
Since 1887, Phil has seen his shadow 97 times, hasn't seen it 15 times, and there are no records for nine years, according to the Groundhog Club.
Rowley said the Groundhog Day festivities is the state of Pennsylvania's largest tourist gathering in the winter. And if Phil's forecast proves correct it should bring even more tourists to the state.
"It's six more weeks of skiing," Rowley said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
