In a 2024 report of the “most popular national and religious events in the United States,” Statista fails to include Groundhog Day, a holiday perceived as irrelevant and absurd by most of society. However, this unseriousness is the primary reason why Groundhog Day deserves more recognition.
Holidays that carry profound spiritual or traditional weight certainly have value and arguably much more importance, but they can be problematic and volatile. As vital as these celebrations are, the annual calendar of holidays needs to include more than just arguments about the problematic origins of Thanksgiving and families forcing their agnostic grandchildren to attend Easter church service.
This is where Feb. 2 comes in, one of the most unproblematic and lighthearted days of the year. Groundhog Day walks the perfect line of being an excuse for celebration and merriment without bringing along religious or historical baggage. If the concept of an immortal rodent predicting the weather wasn’t enough, the scientific proof against Punxsutawney Phil is hard to ignore. WTAE-TV, a television station in Pittsburgh, reported that during the 130 years Phil has been looking for his shadow, only 40% of his predictions have been accurate, making it hard for legitimate arguments surrounding the holiday to arise.
Nevertheless, people flock by the thousands to see the famed animal partake in his annual ritual. At this year’s event, temperatures hovered below 20 degrees all morning, and approximately 40,000 people, according to television station KTLA, made the harrowing trek up numerous hills to Gobbler’s Knob, the famous groundhog’s home.
Some people take it further than just making the pilgrimage each year. Members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle are referred to as a “group of local dignitaries responsible for carrying on the tradition of Groundhog Day every year.” This group is also responsible for the care and feeding of the groundhog throughout the year, representing a true dedication to upholding the whimsy and tradition of the holiday. These shows of devotion are further evidence of how valuable and unifying these ridiculous and joyous occasions can be.
The holiday is also accompanied by one of the best holiday-centered films of all time. “Groundhog Day,” starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, is one of the earliest examples of the time loop trope. The 1993 film follows narcissistic weatherman Phil Connors as he is forced to relive Feb. 2, his least favorite day of the year, over and over again until he becomes a better person. Metacriticism website Rotten Tomatoes gives the movie a score of 94% on the Tomatometer, the same score as “It’s A Wonderful Life” and only a few points below “Halloween,” two iconic holiday films that ought to share some of their spotlight and recognition with February’s holiday movie.
For most people, Groundhog Day is nothing more than a silly report they hear on the radio while driving to work on a random day in early February. However, the day carries with it so much whimsical joy and unproblematic unity, as well as one of the greatest depictions of a holiday put to film. Instead of treating Groundhog Day as irrelevant and ridiculous, people should embrace the celebration and start counting down the days each year until the annual prediction is made.
Sophia Rooksberry is a junior studying journalism. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Sophia know by tweeting her @sophiarooks_.
