Groundhog Day is celebrated in the U.S. annually Feb 2. The tradition originated from Candlemas, a celebration held by Christians to mark Jesus’ presentation at the holy temple; it was believed that a sunny day on Candlemas meant the beginning of spring. Germans developed their legend of Candlemas, declaring the day would be sunny if a badger saw its shadow.
When German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania they quickly adopted the tradition to fit the native groundhogs in Philadelphia. Now, 138 years after the first Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney in 1887, Americans still celebrate the day by watching if famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow. If he does see his shadow, that means six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, it means an early spring is coming.
According to legend, Punxsutawney Phil is the original groundhog from the first year of tradition, although normally groundhogs only live for about 14 years in captivity. If Americans celebrate a groundhog seeing his shadow, hoping for spring to come early, what other strange traditions have become holidays?
One holiday tradition started from an episode of “Seinfeld.” On Dec. 23, fans of the show celebrate Festivus. The holiday was celebrated in the show as an alternative to Christmas and since the episode's release has gained popularity.
Festivus is a time for families to gather together and eat spaghetti meatloaf, mimicking the show's episode. It is also most importantly celebrated by the Airing of Grievances, where people share how they were disappointed by each other throughout the year. Although Festivus is a rather strange tradition, many fans of the show participate in it to bring some spice to the Christmas season.
Another tradition started from pop culture is Star Wars Day, commonly known as “May the Fourth be with you,” an ode to the “Star Wars” franchise. The first May 4 holiday tradition took place in Canada in 2011. Since then, fans of the Star Wars franchise have celebrated the movies by dressing up in costume and participating in other events.
Many games create “Star Wars”-inspired events, such as Fortnite in 2020 when the game held special in-game content and virtual appearances by director J.J. Abrams. Even if you aren’t a Star Wars fan, many will wish you a happy May 4 when the day arrives.
Another less commonly celebrated American tradition is Leap Day, especially because it only happens once every 4 years. Leap Day is the strange occurrence where February gets an extra day. According to Irish and British tradition, on Leap Day it is customary for women to propose to men. However, it is thought to be bad luck to get married during a leap year.
The day also brings out celebrations for those born on Leap Day, sometimes called “leaplings.” In Anthony, Texas, residents hold the Anthony Texas Festival for all those born on the special day and even claim to be the leap year capital of the world.
Although some traditions have become more popularly celebrated in the U.S., many days have been designated their own strange National Holidays in recent years. There’s Pi Day March 14, National Chocolate Chip Day May 15, Cheese Pizza Day Sept. 5 and even National Donut Day.
National Donut Day is celebrated on the first Friday of June every year. The day's tradition dates back to World War I when female volunteers made donuts for soldiers overseas. The day continued being celebrated through the Great Depression and in 1938 was marked by the Chicago Salvation Army as a national holiday to celebrate the female volunteers during the war.
So while Groundhog Day is widely practiced, it is not the only strange tradition celebrated in the U.S. Whether it’s a groundhog predicting the weather, a “Star Wars” pun, or a day dedicated to donuts, these celebrations reflect the quirky and ever-changing nature of American culture.
