Groundhog Day

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If you don't live in the U.S., maybe you haven't heard of Groundhog Day. Every February 2, the legend goes, the groundhog wakes up briefly from hibernation, pops his head out of his hole, and looks for his shadow. If he sees it, we're in for six more weeks of winter, and he returns to his cozy bed. If there's no shadow, the groundhog declares it is spring and stays above ground. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, is home to the "official" groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, and is the center of Groundhog Day festivities. The celebration lasts all week and includes craft fairs, hay rides, a dodge ball tournament, a pancake breakfast, and, of course, the official prediction by Phil at the crack of dawn on February 2. Groundhog Day also happens to be one of my favorite Bill Murray movies. In it, our hero is a weatherman forced to relive the same day over and over and over again — Groundhog Day. In the process, he becomes a better person and wins the love of Andie MacDowell (not annoying for a change here).