The first official Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney took place in 1887.
The event grew from Pennsylvania German weather lore connected with Candlemas, the February 2 Christian festival. According to the tradition, a hibernating animal that sees its shadow retreats and signals six more weeks of winter; no shadow suggests an early spring.
Punxsutawney’s newspaper reported a local observance in 1886, but the celebration is generally considered official beginning in 1887, when a group made a trip to Gobbler’s Knob to consult a groundhog. Clymer Freas, a local newspaper editor, is often credited with promoting the idea, although historical accounts differ on some early details.
The modern Punxsutawney Groundhog Club was formed later, in 1899, and the ceremony eventually became a nationally recognized spectacle. The 1993 film Groundhog Day greatly increased attendance and worldwide interest, even though the movie’s town scenes were filmed primarily in Illinois.