Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is an expression mainly used in North America to describe an event or a situation that continually repeats itself. It derives this meaning from the 1993 movie Groundhog Day in which Bill Murray plays the lead character who experiences the same day over and over again. The original Groundhog Day, however, is a North American folklore festival celebrated every year on 2 February. According to American folklore, if the groundhog emerges from its hibernation burrow in early February on a sunny day, it will see its own shadow and then re-hibernate for a few more weeks indicating a longer winter than usual. If, on the other hand, the weather is cloudy, it will not see its shadow and will not re-hibernate, indicating an early spring. This American folklore dates back to the mid-19th century but is preceded by similar, much more ancient, festivals/beliefs in parts of Europe involving a wide range of hibernating animals. The groundhog is also known as the woodchuck or whistle-pig and is a member of the marmot family.