BY:SAGRARIO S. FROM HOLMES MIDDLE SCHOOL ESL 8TH GRADE HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY BY:SAGRARIO S. FROM HOLMES MIDDLE SCHOOL ESL 8TH GRADE

Groundhog Poem The second month, the second day, We know is Groundhog's Holiday. The keeper of the local zoo, Photographers, reporters, too, Anxiously await together  Woodchuck's forecast of the weather. Each year this time he leaves his hearth, His home beneath good Mother Earth. He wiggles out to see the sun  And sure enough - ask anyone- Should he perchance his shadow see, Back to his home again he'll flee. And that sign's still the surest thing  Six weeks must pass before it's spring!

Groundhog Information The groundhog's reputation as a weather prophet came to the U.S. in the mid18th century with German immigrants known as Pennsylvania Dutch. They had regarded the badger as the winter-spring barometer, and reassigned the job to the groundhog after importing their Candlemas traditions to the U.S.  Other Europeans used the bear or hedgehog -- but in any case it belonged to a creature that hibernated. Its emergence symbolized the imminent arrival of spring. The earlier celebration, Candlemas, is a traditional Christian festival that commemorates the ritual purification of Mary, 40 days after the birth of Jesus. It also marks the presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple. Christians were observing this holiday in Jerusalem at least as early as the 4th century A.D. By the middle of the5th century, candles were lit on this day to symbolize the association of light with Christ.

Groundhog Day Since 1887, members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club in western Pennsylvania have tried to note the first appearance of the rodent they call Punxsutawney Phil. If Phil comes out of his burrow into sunlight on February 2nd and spies his own shadow, he's said to jump back down underground -- dooming us all to six more weeks of winter. On the other hand, a cloudy Groundhog Day forecasts an early spring. The groundhog's reputation as a weather prophet came to the U.S. in the mid-18th century with German immigrants. But this is really a very old holiday -- one that has its roots in astronomy. February 2nd is one of four cross-quarter days. It lies about halfway between a solstice and an equinox. Today's cross-quarter day was celebrated as Candlemas in England, where it marked the beginning of spring. Try this old English rhyme -- "If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, winter will have another flight. But if it be dark with clouds and rain, winter is gone and will not come again."

What Are Groundhog? The groundhog, or woodchuck, is one of 14 species of marmots. These rodents live a feast-or-famine lifestyle and gorge themselves all summer to build up plentiful reserves of fat. After the first frost, they retreat to their underground burrows and snooze until spring, drawing their sustenance from body fat. While hibernating, the animal's heart rate plunges, and its body temperature is not much warmer than the temperature inside its burrow. Groundhog hibernation gave rise to the popular American custom of Groundhog Day, held on the second of February every year. Tradition dictates that if a groundhog sees its shadow that day, there will be six more weeks of winter, though such a prediction seems a sure bet over much of the groundhog's North American range. In the spring, females welcome a litter of perhaps a half dozen newborns, which stay with their mother for several months. Groundhogs are the largest members of the squirrel family. Though they are usually seen on the ground, they can climb trees and are also capable swimmers. These rodents frequent the areas where woodlands meet open spaces, like fields, roads, or streams. Here they eat grasses and plants as well as fruits and tree bark. Groundhogs are the bane of many a gardener. They can decimate a plot while voraciously feeding during the summer and fall seasons.

What Groundhog Day Anyway? "Today is groundhog day and up to the time of going to press the beast has not seen its shadow." The legendary first Groundhog Day trip to Gobbler's Knob was made the following year by a group of spirited groundhog hunters who dubbed themselves "The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club." Clymer, a member of the club, used his editorial clout to proclaim that Phil, the Punxsutawney Groundhog, was the one and only official weather prognosticating groundhog.

WHAT DO PEOPLE DO ON GROUNDHOD DAY Groundhog Day is a popular observance in many parts of the United States. Although some states have in some cases adopted their own groundhogs, the official groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, lives at Gobbler’s Knob near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The town has attracted thousands of visitors over the years to experience various Groundhog Day events and activities on February 2. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club plays an important role in organizing Groundhog Day in the town. Club members, news reporters, locals and visitors meet at Gobbler’s Knob on February 2 each year to await Phil’s appearance and his weather prediction.  Pennsylvania’s governor has been known to attend Groundhog Day ceremonies. Many weather researchers questioned the groundhog’s accuracy in predicting the weather but some of the groundhog’s fans may not agree.

Happy Groundhog Day