Pete sees his shadow again!

Groundhog Day

A groundhog is a small animal covered with brown fur. It lives in a hole in the ground. During winter, it stays underground and sleeps and eats. When people see the groundhog in the winter, they think spring is coming soon.

Punxsutawney Pete is a groundhog. He lives in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. On February 2, Pete’s hometown comes alive- as many as 30,000 sightseers gather to celebrate Groundhog day. Beginning in the morning, they watch for Pete to come out of his hole. Most years he comes out, sees his shadow, and runs back into the hole.

That means there will be at least six more weeks of cold, wintery weather. Occasionally, Pete comes out of his hole and stays outside for a while. That’s a good sign. It means that spring weather will arrive soon.

After Pete appears, the people of Punxsutawney celebrate. There is a barbecue, a colorful festival in the park, a souvenir show and sale, and even a story-telling festival. There is a lot to do on this little town on Groundhog Day!

Pete is a famous groundhog. In 1986, he met the president of the United States. There was a big Hollywood movie made about him in 1993. And in 1995, he was a guest on the Oprah Winfrey show, a popular TV talk show.

Unfortunately, Pete has seen his shadow about 85% of the time since the tradition started in 1887. Let’s hope next year is different!

True or False

1. A groundhog is a large, black animal.2. The town of Punxsutawney celebrates

Groundhog Day.3. Pete met the president of the United

States.4. A movie about Pete came out in 1995.5. Pete doesn’t usually see his shadow.

True or False

1. A groundhog is a small, brown animal.2. The town of Punxsutawney celebrates Gr

oundhog Day.3. Pete met the president of the United Sta

tes.4. A movie about Pete came out in 1993.5. Pete usually sees his shadow.