During the winter, one of the most striking traditions of popular culture is the world -known as Marmota Day. This brand – according to the belief – the duration of winter, defining whether it will last or the spring will be advanced.
The event, held mainly in the United States and Canada, marks the day on which a famous animal from Pennsylvania leaves its burrow to predict when the cold climate corresponding to the winter season will end.
When is marmot day 2025
As every year, Marmota’s Day will be held on February 2, which this 2025 falls on Sunday. The date has a great impact in much of North America, although its impact on the small town of Punxsutawney, in Pennsylvania, where the protagonist of the day lives mainly.
The town stands out for being the place of residence of Marmota Phil, an animal that according to tradition determines the end of cold climate and the beginning of spring. This circumstance is measured by the residents of the people, who are agglutinated in the animal’s home to analyze their movements when leaving their burrow.
In this way, once the marmot has awakened from its hibernation, if when you leave its burrow the animal manages to see its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. On the other hand, if Phil does not see his own shadow, winter will end soon.
In addition, if the marmot sees its shadow – marking the continuation of the cold winter climates – it will return to its burrow; while if I don’t see it – marking the beginning of spring – it will leave its burrow until the following year.
Both the future prediction of the Phil Marmot and the prediction carried out since 1886 can be reviewed in the Official Marmota Day Website.
Other marmotas that make their predictions on marmot day
Although Marmota Phil is the most recognized during the Marmota Day event, this is not the only one that predicts time, since there are other renowned throughout the United States and Canada with the same capacity. Some of the best known are:
- Woodstock Willie, in Illinois.
- Staten Isand Chuck, in New York.
- Wiarton Willie, in Ontario.
What is the origin of Marmota’s Day
Some historians place the origin of the date in some predictions that the Romans made with hedgehogs about the end of winter. However, the date of February 2 became popular in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire, when the Christian tradition of the Candelaria took strength.
During this date the presentation of Jesus is celebrated in the temple and the purification of the Virgin, lighting candles along multiple windows and churches to honor Mary and ask that time was calm during the rest of the winter. However, in Germany the ancient Roman tradition of baseing its predictions in hedgehogs continued.
Therefore, it is believed that it was the German settlers who imported the tradition to the United States during the 18th century; Those who did not find hedgehogs decided to carry out their predictions on the climate with marmotas, another animal that hibers and is also native to the country.
Marmot’s Day and Popular Culture
The celebration of Marmota Day is an American tradition with about a century and a half of history. In the past 2024, Phil predicted that spring would advance when leaving his burrow, so much of the Canadian and American population ran to change his closet’s clothes before it was late.
This divination day gained great importance following the movie “Marmota Day”, starring Bill Murray. In this film, the actor plays a meteorologist who is trapped in time in loop, repeating the same day again and again.
In the same way, this expression has become popular worldwide to refer to repetitive, monotonous days or in which the same should always be done.
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