Groundhog Day was originally based on the Christian holiday, Candlemas

The original holiday was the celebration of the sun being halfway through its advance from the winter solstice to spring equinox. People passed out candles to determine how long and cold winters were, and later would choose an animal as a way to predict the weather. 

People originally turned to hedgehogs for the weather, instead of groundhogs.

When German settlers came to America, they brought over the tradition of looking to hedgehogs to predict the weather. However, when they came to Pennsylvania, they adjusted their traditions to include groundhogs instead because of their abundance in the area. 

People are trained in “groundhogese,” the official language of groundhogs, to help decipher the weather. 

In the annual Groundhog Day celebration in Pennsylvania, local dignitaries called the ‘Inner Circle’ conduct the ceremony. The president of the Inner Circle is able to speak “groundhogese” and translates what Puncsutawney Phil says to show full accuracy.

Early settlers used to eat groundhogs to celebrate Groundhog Day

In the earliest celebrations of the holiday, early American settlers used to eat varieties of groundhog dishes to celebrate the day. The celebration usually involved hunting, and then having a picnic- with signature dishes like “groundhog punch.”