Groundhog Day movie
The Groundhog Day, whose original title is Groundhog Day, tells the story of the meteorologist named Phil Connors, known for his character that is anything but adorable. One day, the reporter is forced to go to Pennsylvania to report on Groundhog Day. However, things don't go according to plan and the man, named after the groundhog he has to talk about, gets caught in a time loop that forces him to relive the same day over and over again. el 2 February.
Each day begins like the one before and events always follow the same pattern. Slowly Phil begins to feel depressed by this dead end condition until he understands the key to escaping this time loop.
A cult film about a ritual that is celebrated everywhere today
when he came out, Groundhog Day It wasn't a huge commercial success, after all that was the year of Home Alone. But with time came the love of the fans and the praise. Harold Ramis's film is one of those films that Americans call "sleeper", which are coming out and growing more and more over time.
In 2000, the American Film Institute ranked the film 34th among the greatest comedies of all time. The title phrase, "Groundhog Day", Has become synonymous with the unpleasant and repetitive situation.
In 2006, Groundhog Day was listed in the US National Film Registry for its "historically, culturally, and aesthetically significant." In many parts of the world the film is shown every February 2. In 2016, Liverpool fans gathered to watch it for more than 24 hours, putting the concept of time loop into practice and Sky Cinema Television Channel broadcasts it for 24 hours as well since 2017. In 2020 stephen tobolowsky he discussed a possible television series inspired by the film.
What is the groundhog day ritual?
On February 2 of each year, the groundhog named Phil is brought out of the den where he has found refuge to beat the onset of winter. And the meteorological fate is decided by his behavior as soon as he sticks his nose out of the den. In fact, tradition says that if the groundhog sees its shadow when it returns to its den, winter will last another six weeks. Conversely, if Phil remains outside his lair, without seeing his shadow, winter will end sooner than expected. Every year the groundhog makes its prediction around 7.20:13.20 in the morning, which corresponds to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. Spanish time.
Of course, there is nothing scientific about this ritual, nor anything that could lead to a marmot's prediction. But this has never stopped Americans from keeping their eyes on Phil's behavior to understand what the trend of the colder season will be. If it will last until the middle of March or if it will end a few weeks before, bringing with it an early spring.
Why does this tradition still have followers?
As explained by National Today, the tradition of Groundhog Day is linked to the migratory movements of some European citizens. Between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, many Germanic-speaking peoples left their lands to seek a future and a bit of fortune on the coasts of the United States, a land of abundance and a factory of dreams in those days.
During this emigration the peoples brought not only the weight of their hopes, but also a large part of their traditions, including those related to the Meteorology. And among these traditions are some like this one in which the weather is forecast without using any scientific element, but based on the study of specific natural signs and events. It was somewhat more akin to pagan magic than science, but still, whether through its charm or its magic, these rituals have been intertwined with American history ever since.
The first Groundhog Day was created by a local journalist, Clymes Freas, in 1886, who managed to convince its citizens but also the hunters that it was necessary to create an event that brought the citizens together. Since then, legend has it that every summer Phil the groundhog drinks a elixir of long life, which gives him another seven years to live. But rituals similar to Groundhog Day are not found only in the United States.
Virgin of Candelaria
In Catholic countries, and also in Spain, it would be the case of the Virgen de la Candelaria, which is celebrated on February 2. On this day, candles are brought to bless the Virgin and that helps protect the citizens from the possible elements of winter.
In Spain there is a proverb about Candelaria that says:
«When the Candelaria cries, winter is out; when it neither cries nor is it windy, winter is inside; whether he cries or stops crying, half of winter is yet to pass."
In Europe the tradition is the same but badgers or bears are used, while in Pennsylvania the more practical tradition linked to observing the behavior of a marmot was established. Officially in Punxsutawney the tradition began in 1886.
Beyond Phil...
Phil isn't the only groundhog who predicts the weather…there are more marmots that tell us when winter will begin. Such as Buckeye Chuck, Groundhog Imanol, General Beauregard Lee, Staten Island Chuck, Wiarton Willie and Shubenacadie Sam. Still, and thanks to the movie, the most famous is Phil. There are those who say that marmots hit their predictions with an accuracy of 75 to 90%, remember that without any scientific basis.