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Health & Fitness

Blog Post: Punxsutawney Phil - Visionary or Just Dumb Luck?

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The Man:

Punxsutawney Phil is a groundhog resident of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. On Feb. 2 (Groundhog Day) of each year, the town celebrates the beloved groundhog with a festive gathering. During the ceremony, which begins well before sunrise, Phil emerges from his temporary home on Gobbler's Knob, located about 2 miles east of town. A select group, called the Inner Circle, takes care of Phil year-round and also plans the annual ceremony. Members of the Inner Circle are recognizable by their top hats and tuxedos. During the rest of the year, Phil lives in the town library with his "wife" Phyllis.

The Myth:

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According to tradition, if Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, he has predicted six more weeks of winter. If Phil does not see his shadow, he has predicted an early spring. He is considered to be the world's most famous prognosticating rodent.

The Legend:

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Data suggest that groundhogs have an average lifespan of ten years in captivity and six years in the wild, with a maximum lifespan of 14 years in captivity documented. Punxsutawney Phil fans say that there is only one Phil (all the other groundhog weathermen are impostors), and that he has made weather prognostications for over 121 years as of 2011. They say that every summer, Phil is given a sip of the mysterious Groundhog Elixir, which magically lengthens his life for seven years. This is done by Inner Circle members. According to the Groundhog Club, Phil, after making the prediction, speaks to the Club President in "Groundhogese", which only the current president can understand, and then his prediction is translated for the entire world.

Of these 115 predictions on record so far, Punxsutawney Phil has predicted an early spring 15 times (13%). As to his accuracy, according to the StormFax Weather Almanac and records kept since 1887, Phil's predictions have been correct 39% of the time.

(via Wikipedia)

So, what do you think? Master Weather Forecaster...or a four-leaf clover owner?

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