Got your own weather prognosticating groundpig? <br><br> Groundhog Day, an offshoot of Candlemas Day, began as a European and Pennsylvania German custom in the 18th and 19th centuries. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, then spring will come early; if it is sunny, the groundhog sees its shadow and retreats back into its burrow, auguring six more weeks of cold winter! <br> <br> Groundhogs are also known as woodchucks or “whistle-pigs.” The familiar name woodchuck actually has nothing to do with wood, and stems from the Native American names for them: wuchak, wejack, and possibly otchek, which is a name for fishers. The name whistle-pig, which is most common in Appalachia, stems from groundhogs’ habit of making a high-pitched whistling sound (hmmm ... sound familiar), usually as a warning to other groundhogs when they feel threatened. #wheekwheekforspring