Punxsutawney
| Punxsutawney | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Marmot Day 2005 in Punxsutawney |
|||
| Location in Pennsylvania | |||
|
|||
| Basic data | |||
| Foundation : | 1816 | ||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | Pennsylvania | ||
| County : | Jefferson County | ||
| Coordinates : | 40 ° 57 ′ N , 78 ° 59 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Eastern ( UTC − 5 / −4 ) | ||
| Residents : | 5,962 (as of 2010) | ||
| Population density : | 669.9 inhabitants per km 2 | ||
| Area : | 8.9 km 2 (approx. 3 mi 2 ) of which 8.9 km 2 (approx. 3 mi 2 ) is land |
||
| Height : | 375 m | ||
| Postal code : | 15767 | ||
| Area code : | +1 814 | ||
| FIPS : | 42-62920 | ||
| GNIS ID : | 1214004 | ||
| Website : | www.punxsutawney.com | ||
Punxsutawney is a small town with 5,962 inhabitants (as of 2010) in Jefferson County in the US state of Pennsylvania .
history
The first white colonization occurred around 1790 on the site of an abandoned Native American settlement.
The name Punxsutawney is based on the Indian name Ponkuttenick , which means "place of mosquitos".
Marmot day
Every year on February 2nd, Groundhog Day is celebrated here, on which a woodchuck is said to predict the end of winter. Legend has it that the region will remain in harsh winter for at least six weeks when the marmot named Phil sees its own shadow when it first looks out of its burrow. If it doesn't see its shadow, spring begins. This custom is comparable to the Dormouse Day.
Every year this event draws thousands of visitors to the small town who want to be there when Phil is woken up by blows with a stick on the house and forced out of its building. The predictions recorded since 1887 have so far been in agreement with reality in 39% of the years.
filming
Punxsutawney and Groundhog Day became internationally known in 1993 through the movie And Groundhog Day . The film was not shot in Punxsutawney, but in Woodstock , Illinois .
Web links
- Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania - Venue website
- Groundhog.org - Website of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club (English)