Groundhog handler AJ Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil after the groundhog saw his shadow predicting six more weeks of winter during the 139th annual Groundhog Day festivities on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, in Punxsutawney, Pa. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

Since 1886, when the tradition began, Groundhog Day has been held on Feb. 2 every year. But it wasn’t always about a groundhog coming out of the ground to assess his shadow. The tradition came from a Christian religious holiday called Candlemas Day, according to The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club website.

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