Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day History

Groundhog Day is a folk tradition celebrated across North America on February 2, aimed at predicting the arrival of spring. Largely observed in Canada and the United States, the popular custom is based upon the belief that the emergence of a groundhog from its burrow on this day can help determine the duration of winter. With a keen eye on the groundhog's response to the weather, the tradition dictates that if the creature spies its shadow due to a bright, sunny day and retreats back into its burrow, it means winter will persist for another six weeks. However, if the day turns out to be cloudy and the groundhog remains outdoors, it is believed that spring is close at hand.

The origins of Groundhog Day can be traced back to ancient European customs, particularly those derived from the Celtic festival of Imbolc and the Christian holiday of Candlemas. The observance was first adopted by Canadian settlers in the 18th and 19th centuries, who brought these traditions from their European homelands. Groundhog Day has gained particular significance in Canada due to the country's unpredictable and often harsh winters. Canadians keenly anticipate the groundhog's prediction each year, as it provides a glimpse of hope and even a touch of amusement amidst the long, cold months.

In Canada, Groundhog Day is marked by various events and celebrations, with communities often hosting festivities centered around a local groundhog. The most noteworthy of these events is held in Wiarton, Ontario, where the prominent groundhog Wiarton Willie has been making his predictions since 1956. Each year, crowds gather to witness Willie's anticipated decision on the arrival of spring, with the spectacle often accompanied by music, entertainment, and family-friendly activities.

Top 10 Facts for 2026 Groundhog Day in Canada

• In preparation for the 2026 festivities, Shubenacadie Sam will maintain her status as the first prognosticator in North America to deliver a forecast, as her home at the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park in Nova Scotia is situated in the Atlantic Time Zone.
• While most famous weather-predicting animals are groundhogs, the Wiarton Willie Festival in Ontario is globally distinguished for featuring an albino groundhog, a rare genetic trait that makes the local celebrity easy to spot against the winter snow.
• In the Canadian Prairies, the popular Balzac Billy is not actually a groundhog but a mascot portrayed as a Richardson ground squirrel, a species colloquially known as a gopher that is more native to the Alberta region.
• Quebec’s representative, Fred la marmotte, holds the unique distinction of being the only weather-predicting rodent in the world whose habitat is located within a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the Géoparc mondial UNESCO de Percé.
• For residents in Manitoba, the most anticipated forecast often comes from Manitoba Merv, a puppet—technically a repurposed golf club cover—who resides at the Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre and boasts a historical accuracy rate that rival's his live counterparts.
• In a coastal twist on the tradition, Nova Scotia also celebrates with Lucy the Lobster, who crawls out of the ocean at Barrington Passage to offer a crustacean’s perspective on the remaining weeks of winter.
• Historical records from The Canadian Encyclopedia reveal that early European settlers in Canada originally looked to bears rather than groundhogs to predict the spring, a tradition that only shifted toward rodents in the late 19th century.
• The town of Wiarton holds its official prediction ceremony at precisely 8:07 a.m. local time, a specific minute chosen to maximize local media coverage and ensure the albino shadow-seeker is the center of attention in Ontario.
• In parts of Nova Scotia, the day is historically referred to as Daks Day, a name derived from the German word dachs meaning badger, which was the original animal used for weather lore in Europe before the groundhog was adopted in North America.
• According to the Sam Cam livestream archives, Shubenacadie Sam is one of the few groundhogs that is not woken from hibernation for the event, as the wildlife park allows her to emerge naturally from her burrow when she is ready.

In the News and Trending in Canada for Groundhog Day

Top things to do in Canada for Groundhog Day

• Watch Phil emerge from his hole live via television.
• Watch the movie Groundhog Day (1993) starring Bill Murray.
• Attend the Wiarton Willie Festival: Instead of Punxsutawney Phil, Canadians celebrate Groundhog Day with Wiarton Willie. The festival in Wiarton, Ontario, is a four-day family event that includes concerts, hockey games, ice carvings, a chili cook-off, and of course, the Groundhog Day prediction event.
• Throw a Groundhog Day watch party with friends and family!