Date: February 2nd/ American Holiday

symbol: groundhog

Do you think that a small, furry animal can tell what the weather is going to be like? Some people in the U.S. think that the groundhog, also known as the woodchuck, can.

On February 2nd these people watch for the groundhog to come out of its snug, underground den. They think that if the groundhog is frightened by its shadow it will crawl back in to its den to hide. If he does, they believe winter will last for six more weeks. If he doesn't see his shadow, then spring weather will come soon.

This superstition goes back for hundreds of years. Long ago, Germans watched badgers to see what they would do on this date. Their beliefs were basically the same as ours. Naturally, everyone hoped that February 2nd would be dark and cloudy so the...