As fun as it may be to believe these magical creatures have been used for centuries to predict the weather for farmers, the truth is that they are more of an American 19th-century tool. Many spring celebration traditions have occurred at the beginning of February, going back to Celtic times. However, a groundhog was not used for these events. Nor were groundhogs used in the Christian tradition of Candlemas, which was celebrated at the same time of year.
It was common for German traditions to involve weather prediction through the use of animals and their habits. Although it is believed this tradition was brought over to the United States via the German settlers in the area, it is thought that a hedgehog was the original weather predictor tool for settlers to rely upon. It is believed that after coming to the United States, the hedgehog was switched for a groundhog because of the latter’s higher availability in the area.
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