Groundhog day facts for preschoolers: Groundhog and Groundhog’s Day Facts for Kids
Groundhog Facts for Kids
The Groundhog is a rodent. It is also called a woodchuck. It belongs to the group of ground squirrels. Those squirrels are also known as marmots. The animal may also be called Woodchuck, or Whistlepig. Groundhogs dig tunnels and live underground. Groundhog holes, called burrows, are easy to recognize; they are holes, about 9.in (inches) (23 cm (centimeters)) wide which usually have large piles of dirt and rocks at the entrance. Every single hole, may have tunnels which lead to as many as ten other holes, the tunnels are very large and can have chambers, like rooms, in them. Groundhogs can make their homes under trees, around buildings and in open fields.
Contents
- Behavior
- Diet
- Burrows
- Hibernation
- Reproduction
- In Culture
- Images for kids
Behavior
Motionless individual, alert to danger, will whistle when alarmed to warn other groundhogs
The time spent observing groundhogs by field biologists represents only a small fraction of time devoted to the field research. W.J. Schoonmaker reports that groundhogs may hide when they see, smell or hear the observer. Ken Armitage, marmot researcher, states that the social biology of the groundhog is well understudied. Despite their heavy-bodied appearance, groundhogs are accomplished swimmers and occasionally climb trees when escaping predators or when they want to survey their surroundings. They prefer to retreat to their burrows when threatened; if the burrow is invaded, the groundhog tenaciously defends itself with its two large incisors and front claws. Groundhogs are generally agonistic and territorial among their own species, and may skirmish to establish dominance. Outside their burrow, individuals are alert when not actively feeding. It is common to see one or more nearly-motionless individuals standing erect on their hind feet watching for danger. When alarmed, they use a high-pitched whistle to warn the rest of the colony, hence the name “whistle-pig”. Groundhogs may squeal when fighting, seriously injured, or caught by a predator. Other sounds groundhogs may make are low barks and a sound produced by grinding their teeth. When groundhogs are frightened, the hairs of the tail stand straight up, giving the tail the appearance of a hair brush. David P. Barash wrote he witnessed only two occasions of upright play-fighting among woodchucks and that the upright posture of play-fighting involves sustained physical contact between individuals and may require a degree of social tolerance virtually unknown in M. monax. He said it was possible to conclude, alternatively, that upright play-fighting is part of the woodchuck’s behavioral repertory but rarely shown because of physical spacing and/or low social tolerance.
Clover is a preferred food source for groundhogs.
Diet
Mostly herbivorous, groundhogs eat primarily wild grasses and other vegetation, including berries and agricultural crops, when available. In early spring, dandelion and coltsfoot are important groundhog food items. Some additional foods include: sheep sorrel, timothy, buttercup, tear thumb, agrimony, red and black raspberries, buckwheat, plantain, wild lettuce, all varieties of clover, and alfalfa. Groundhogs also occasionally eat grubs, grasshoppers, insects, snails and other small animals, but are not as omnivorous as many other Sciuridae. Like squirrels, they also have been observed sitting up eating nuts such as shagbark hickory, but unlike squirrels, do not bury them for future use.
Groundhogs will occasionally eat snails, insects and baby birds they come upon by accident. An adult groundhog will eat more than a pound of vegetation daily. In early June, woodchucks’ metabolism slows, food intake decreases, their weight increases by as much as 100% and fat deposits are produced upon which they will live during hibernation and late winter. Instead of storing food, groundhogs stuff themselves to survive the winter without eating. Thought not to drink water, groundhogs are reported to obtain needed liquids from the juices of food-plants, aided by their sprinkling with rain or dew.
Burrows
Groundhogs are excellent burrowers, using burrows for sleeping, rearing young, and hibernating. W.J. Schoonmaker excavated 11 dens finding the earth removed from these averaged six cubic feet or four and eight-tenths bushels per den. The longest burrow was 24 feet plus 2 short side galleries. The amount of soil taken from this den was eight bushels and it weighed 640 pounds. The average weight of the earth taken from all eleven dens was 384 pounds. Though groundhogs are the most solitary of the marmots, several individuals may occupy the same burrow. Groundhog burrows usually have two to five entrances, providing groundhogs their primary means of escape from predators. Burrows are particularly large, with up to 14 metres (46 ft) of tunnels buried up to 1.5 metres (5 ft) underground, and can pose a serious threat to agricultural and residential development by damaging farm machinery and even undermining building foundations. In a June 7, 2009 Humane Society of the United States article, “How to Humanely Chuck a Woodchuck Out of Your Yard”, John Griffin, director of Humane Wildlife Services, stated you would have to have a lot of woodchucks working over a lot of years to create tunnel systems that would pose any risk to a structure.
The burrow is used for safety, retreat in bad weather, hibernating, sleeping, love nest, and nursery. In addition to the nest, there is an excrement chamber. The nest chamber may be about twenty inches to three feet below ground surface. It is about sixteen inches wide and fourteen inches high. There are typically two burrow openings or holes. One is the main entrance, the other a spy hole. Description of the length of the burrow often includes the side galleries of the burrow. Excluding the side galleries, Schoonmaker reports the longest was twenty-four feet, with the average length of eleven dens dug out to be fourteen feet. W.H. Fisher investigated nine burrows, finding the deepest point to be forty-nine inches down. The longest, including side galleries, was forty-seven feet eleven and one half inches. Numbers of burrows per individual groundhog decreases with urbanization.
Bachman mentioned that when the young groundhogs are a few months old, they prepare for separation, digging a number of holes in the area of their early home. Some of these holes were only a few feet deep and never occupied but the numerous burrows gave the impression that groundhogs live in communities.
Hibernation
Groundhogs are one of the few species that enter into true hibernation, and often build a separate “winter burrow” for this purpose. This burrow is usually in a wooded or brushy area and is dug below the frost line and remains at a stable temperature well above freezing during the winter months. In most areas, groundhogs hibernate from October to March or April, but in more temperate areas, they may hibernate as little as three months. Groundhogs hibernate longer in northern latitudes than southern latitudes. To survive the winter, they are at their maximum weight shortly before entering hibernation. When the groundhog enters hibernation, there is a drop in body temperature to as low as 35 degrees fahrenheit, heart rate falls to 4-10 beats per minute and breathing rate falls to one breath every six minutes. During hibernation, they experience periods of torpor and arousal. They emerge from hibernation with some remaining body fat to live on until the warmer spring weather produces abundant plant materials for food. Males emerge from hibernation before females. Groundhogs are mostly diurnal, and are often active early in the morning or late afternoon.
Reproduction
A groundhog mother and her cubs (kits) in a suburban yard
Usually groundhogs breed in their second year, but a small proportion may breed in their first. The breeding season extends from early March to mid- or late April, after hibernation. A mated pair remains in the same den throughout the 31- to 32-day gestation period. As birth of the young approaches in April or May, the male leaves the den. One litter is produced annually, usually containing two to six blind, hairless and helpless young. Groundhog mothers introduce their young to the wild once their fur is grown in and they can see. At this time, if at all, the father groundhog comes back to the family. They encourage their young to copy their behaviors and during this time may differ from usual routines. By the end of August, the family breaks up; or at least, the larger number scatter, to burrow on their own.
In Culture
- See also: Groundhog Day
In the United States, there is a holiday called Groundhog Day. It is celebrated on February 2 of every year.
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Amazing Groundhog Day Facts For Kids 2022
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Punxsutawney Phil is the well-known groundhog who foretells the weather in Pennsylvania’s Punxsutawney. Tradition has it that winter will continue for an additional six weeks if a groundhog sees its shadow on February 2. He won’t see his shadow, which indicates that spring will come quickly.
There are many amazing and amusing Groundhog Day facts for kids that will catch your attention and make you want to admire this day. We will explore some facts about Groundhog Day in this article.
Basic groundhog day facts for kid
- Observed by: Canada United States
- Type: Cultural
- Significance: Predicts the arrival of spring
- Celebrations: Announcing whether a groundhog sees its shadow after it emerges from its burrow
- Date: February 2
- Frequency: Annual
- Related to: Candlemas
- Who observes this holiday: It’s customary to do this in America. The majority of the time, it is just for fun and something that weather forecasters like to talk about for entertainment. It is not a federal holiday.
Interesting facts about groundhog day for kids
Groundhog Day started as a Pennsylvanian German holiday.
Groundhog Day is observed annually on February 2. In the 1800s, it started as a Pennsylvanian German holiday, which was first celebrated as Candlemas Day in Europe. It was declared to be Pennsylvania’s first Groundhog Day celebration in 1886. This American custom aims to foretell the arrival of spring. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, hosts the biggest and most well-known celebration of this day in the United States. The second-largest celebration in the world is held at the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas.
It honors a rodent meteorologist.
Groundhog Day, which honors a rodent meteorologist, was first celebrated on February 2, 1887, at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Groundhog Day celebrations were attended by tens of thousands of spectators on February 2, 1887, in Punxsutawney, a municipality with a population of about 6,000.
A newspaper editor came up with Groundhog Day.
Clymer Freas, the neighborhood newspaper editor, came up with the idea for Punxsutawney’s first Groundhog Day celebration. He persuaded a group of businesspeople and groundhog hunters who came to be known as the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.
The movie Groundhog Day made groundhog day much more famous.
The movie Groundhog Day, filmed in Woodstock, Illinois, was made in 1993, made groundhog day more famous. The film is a comedy film for which Harold Ramis and Danny Rubin wrote the screenplay, and it stars Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, and Chris Elliott. Murray plays Phil Connors, a pessimistic television weatherman covering Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania’s annual Groundhog Day celebration. He is stuck in a time loop and has to relive February 2 over and over again. The movie gained cult status over time, considerably raising public knowledge of and interest in Groundhog Day celebrations.
Punxsutawney Phil is one of the most famous animals in the US.
Punxsutawney Phil visited the White House in 1986 to meet with President Reagan. Phil also appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1995.
Groundhog day is an important festival in Germany.
Although primarily a Catholic holiday, Candlemas is celebrated by German Protestant (Lutheran) churches. Folk religion still associates the occasion with various customs and superstitions, despite the Protestant Reformers’ efforts to prevent this in the 16th century. Notably, several customs resembling weather lore forecast the arrival of spring using the weather around Candlemas. On Candlemas, the badger was typically the animal that predicted the weather, while in certain areas, it was the bear or the fox. The bear, another hibernating mammal, had been the original weather-predicting animal in Germany, but the legend changed when they became less common.
The weather predictions that groundhogs make aren’t entirely accurate.
For more than 130 years, Phil has been making forecasts. However, according to research by the National Climatic Data Center and the Canadian Weather Service, Groundhog Day’s foretelling, or Punxsutawney Phil, has only about a 50% success rate. Even though the groundhog’s forecast is frequently wrong, the holiday provides people a chance to enjoy themselves during winter. They gather to play games, sing music, and watch the groundhog.
Groundhog Day has its own unique celebration in Pennsylvania.
Groundhog Lodges in Southeast Pennsylvania observe the festival with fersommling. These are gatherings of people who come together and share food, make speeches, and put on plays or skits to entertain those who attend the celebration. Everyone must speak the Pennsylvania German dialect, and anyone who speaks English is penalized by having to deposit money into a bowl in the middle of the table; they are usually asked to pay dimes, nickels, or quarters.
Groundhog Day celebrations are huge in New Jersey.
New Jersey’s Milltown, Milltown Mel forecasts the weather at an early morning ceremony at the American Legion. The occasion has drawn a lot of interest and keeps getting bigger and bigger. People frequently go on weekdays before school or work. The event’s sponsor, Bronson & Guthlein Funeral Home, provides free coffee and donuts. The funeral home is Mel’s permanent home. She has both a climate-controlled cage and a separate outdoor enclosure. The owner of Bronson and one of his tenants, a volunteer EMT with the community rescue squad, are responsible for looking after her.
There is also a groundhog named Potomac Phil.
At the Dupont Circle Groundhog Day celebration in Washington, D.C always coincided with those of the more animated Punxsutawney Phil, who made his predictions 30 minutes prior, from his debut appearance in 2012 until 2018. Additionally, Phil consistently foresaw the impending six-month political impasse. Potomac Phil, accused of conspiracy in 2018, disagreed with Punxsutawney Phil in 2019 and added that there would be two more crazy political years.
Serbia and Croatia celebrate their own versions of Groundhog Day.
While Christians in America consider groundhogs to be the animal of their choice to predict, Orthodox Christians in Croatia and Serbia have a separate tradition involving a bear! They believe that a bear will wake up from its regular winter hibernation on February 2nd for Candlemas, or on the 15th of February, for Sretenje, meaning The Meeting of the Lord. Their tradition believes that if the sleepy or confused bear notices its shadow after it wakes up, it will feel afraid and go back into hibernation for 40 more days, making the winter period much longer. Therefore, if it continues to be sunny in Sretenje, it is a good indication that winter is about to end its cloudy weather.
Germany and the UK have their own way of predicting spring!
Germany celebrates Seven Sleepers’ Day or Siebenschläfertag on June 27. They believe that the rest of the summer will be rainy if it rains on that day. On the other hand, St. Swithin’s Day is celebrated on July 15 in the U.K. People once thought that if it rained on a particular day, it would continue to rain for an additional 40 days.
Conclusion
After reading all these groundhog day facts, kids, you may now want to celebrate groundhog day because why not? It is a very famous and delightful day. In the United States and Canada, Groundhog Day is observed on February 2nd to check on Punxsutawney Phil and see if he saw his shadow this year. So, kids, you should join that day.
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Groundhog Day Worksheets, Facts & Historic Information For Kids
Worksheets /Seasonal and Holiday /Groundhog Day Facts & Worksheets
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Table of Contents
Groundhog Day is traditionally a celebration of weather forecasting based on the predictions of a groundhog. The event occurs annually on the 2nd of February and is celebrated across the United States of America and in Canada.
See the fact file below for more information on Groundhog Day or download the BUMPER 22 worksheet pack which can be utilised within the classroom or home environment.
Groundhog Day Origin:
- Groundhog Day celebrations began as part of the Pennsylvanian German tradition during the 1800s. The German immigrants brought with them the tradition of Candlemas as Badger Day (Dachstag).
- The belief is that groundhogs are able to predict the weather and that when a sacred bear or badger emerges from its burrow and casts a shadow, winter will last for another six weeks. If the groundhog does not cast a shadow due to cloudy weather then spring will come early.
- According to German traditions, a badger is a weather forecasting animal. According to weather lore, badgers can predict the occurrence of prolonged winters.
- Groundhogs are omnivores. They can also climb trees and swim across lakes like beavers.
- Female groundhogs have babies called kits in litters of six to nine at a time. These babies spend several months with their mothers.
- Groundhogs eat large amounts of food during summer and sleep all through the winter. This process is called hibernation.
- Groundhogs are also known as woodchucks and belong to the rodent family.
- Candlemas was a Catholic festival that was celebrated even after it was discouraged by Protestant Reformists.
Groundhog Day Celebration:
- According to the diary of James L. Morris of Morgantown, Pennsylvania, Groundhog Day was first celebrated on February 2, 1840. However, It was not until 1886 when the day was officially commemorated and people started to gather at the Gobbler’s Knob to watch the prediction of the groundhog.
- The city editor of the Punxsutawney Spirit, Clymer Freas was known as the pioneer of Groundhog Day.
- Since 1880, Groundhog Day has been celebrated in Punxsutawney Elks Lodge. The Groundhog Club was then established and its members were known as the “Genesis.”
- Later in 1899, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club started the Groundhog Feast which included hunting as part of the ritual.
- There are approximately 40,000 people who attend the Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania annually.
- The second-largest celebration of the day is at the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas.
- Other parts of Pennsylvania also celebrate Groundhog Day including Quarryville, Schuylkill County, Sinnamahoning County, and Bucks County. In addition to these areas, Nova Scotia, in Canada, where the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park is located, also celebrates the day every year.
- In Pennsylvania, the groundhog is named Punxsutawney Phil while in New York it is known as Pothole Pete. In Wiarton, Ontario, Canada, the groundhog is named Wiarton Willie.
- Organizers of the Groundhog Day celebration claim that most of the predictions are 75% to 90% accurate.
- Other countries such as Serbia (Sretenje), Germany (Siebenschlaefer), the United Kingdom (St. Swithin’s Day), and Alaska (Marmot Day) also have similar spring forecasting traditions.
- In Russia, Groundhog Day is celebrated at zoos in Moscow, Samara, and St. Petersburg.
- In 1993, the movie “Groundhog Day” was filmed in Woodstock, Illinois.
Groundhog Worksheets
This BUMPER bundle includes over 22 ready-to-use Groundhog Day worksheets that are perfect for students to learn about Groundhog Day which is celebrated on February 2nd each year and according to folklore if it’s cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, then spring will come early.
Worksheet Pack 1:
This download includes the following worksheets:
- Groundhog Day Facts
- What is a Groundhog?
- Spring Forecasting Traditions
- Shadow or No Shadow?
- Rodent Family
- Top 5 Facts
- Matching Seasons
- Naming Groundhogs
- Word Banking
- My Winter and Spring
- Groundhog Day Celebration
Worksheet Pack 2
Who or What Am I? Is Phil Accurate? Groundhog Day Poem
This download includes the following worksheets:
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- Groundhog Day Facts
- Groundhog Day Word Search
- Fact or Bluff
- Groundhog Day Word Scramble
- Who or What am I?
- My Weather Prediction
- Groundhog Day Poem
- Groundhog Day Prediction Timeline
- Groundhog Day Celebration
- Is Phil Accurate?
- Groundhog Day Acrostic
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Use With Any Curriculum
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What didn’t you know about Groundhog Day? Curious facts and fun details
Groundhog Day is celebrated in the United States every February 2nd. This is the day when the world famous Punxsutawney Phil and other groundhogs come out of their burrows all over the country to see their shadow and decide whether spring will come sooner or we will have another six weeks of winter. It’s one of the oldest traditions in the United States, immortalized by Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell in the 1993 film Groundhog Day, about a grumpy meteorologist who relives the holiday over and over again.
Polina Koleso
Did you know that Phil the Groundhog may have been living for 170 years?
If you’ve ever wondered why we care so much about what these furry animals say about the weather, here are nine facts about the history of Groundhog Day.
1. Groundhog Day superimposed on another holiday
Groundhog Day is an offshoot of the Christian celebration of the Candlemas, which was held every February 2, exactly 40 days after Christmas. In some parts of Europe, it was believed that the Candlemas of the Sun meant that there were still 40 days of winter on the horizon. In German Europe, this holiday was designated as dachstag, or “Badger’s Day”, when badgers were used to predict the weather. According to tradition, if an animal saw its shadow on that day, people were waiting for another four weeks of winter. Even earlier, celebrants used bears to predict the weather, but as their numbers dwindled, meteorologists began to turn to badgers (although foxes also worked in a pinch). The Pennsylvania Dutch brought this tradition to the United States and replaced badgers (which were mostly found in the central US) with the much more common marmot.
2. Weather forecasts for Groundhog Day in World War II were classified
World War II censorship rules prohibited the major newspapers from mentioning any information that Germany and Japan could use against the United States. The rules were so strict that weather forecasts could not be broadcast over the radio, and newspapers were forbidden from publishing the state of the sky and the exact temperature (however, they could write vaguely, for example: “It will be colder than yesterday” or “The temperature will be the same as yesterday”) . In an article in the Miami Herald on Feb. 2, 1943 weather forecaster H.A. Downes explained: “All weather conditions are a military secret. Telling the groundhog to see or not see his shadow can reveal the state of the sky to the enemy. The annual groundhog day forecasts will have to be skipped.”
3. The first modern Groundhog Day occurred in 1887
The earliest mention of Groundhog Day in the United States dates back to 1840. It was discovered in the diary of James L. Morris, a Pennsylvanian. But the first known occasion when people got together to celebrate this event was in 1887, when the groundhog club went together to Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney to bring Punxsutawney Phil to look for his shadow. The Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper reported that the groundhog had not seen its shadow a year before (although no events were held), and its city editor, Clymer Fries, is credited with inventing the day we still celebrate today.
4. Groundhog Day made the holiday popular
Up until the Murray and McDowall movie, several thousand people went to Gobbler’s Knob to take part in the festivities, but after the movie hit theaters, that number increased up to tens of thousands. More than 40,000 people are now on their way to where the Meteorologist and Groundhog Phil clashed in an existential battle of wills. This is about eight times the population of Punxsutawney itself.
5. Was not like a holiday
Punxsutawney Phil isn’t the only precognitive rodent in the game. There are dozens of other marmots that participate in celebrations across the country. One of them is Jimmy, the groundhog for the festivities in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin (which calls itself the groundhog capital of the world). In 2015, Jimmy bit Mayor John Freund on the ear and was pardoned the next day. As you might guess, bites from these animals are incredibly common because they don’t like being held by people, but the rodent doesn’t always cause harm. In 2014, then-New York Mayor Bill de Blasio dropped a Staten Island groundhog to Charlotte during a ceremony. She died a few days later, and the Staten Island Zoo had to issue a press release stating that it wasn’t the fall that killed her. De Blasio never attended the ceremony again.
6. Phil is named after King Philip (but which one?)
We’ve been calling Punxsutawney weirdo Phil since 1961, and several official sources note that this name is given in honor of King Philip. Which King Philip? Your guess is as good as any other.
7. Phil is terrible at predicting the weather
Although the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club proudly claims that Phil is correct about the weather “100 percent of the time,” he tends to be rather amateurish about whether winter has come or not. Phil was only right 50% of the time between 2011 and 2020, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.
8. Phil from Punxsutawney met with the President
Phil celebrated his 100th birthday by meeting with President Ronald Reagan at the White House. He was lucky enough to meet Oprah Winfrey, but it was not until 2003 that the current governor of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell at the time, came to Punxsutawney to take part in the celebrations. When he’s not hanging out at Gobbler’s Knob, Phil lives with his wife, Phyllis (a mere mortal who doesn’t get the same “magic elixir” as her hubby – according to local legend, members of the groundhog club give him a special elixir that lengthens his life each time for 7 years (with the usual lifespan of marmots being 6-10 years)) in a climate-controlled shelter, which is part of the city library.
FUN FACTS ABOUT THE FILM “GROUNDGROUND DAY”: tanjacha1 — LiveJournal
They say that if you follow the behavior of a groundhog on February 2, you can find out how soon spring will come. It is not known how accurate such predictions are compared to, say, tossing a coin or weather forecasts. But it is certainly known that very soon the film “Groundhog Day” will celebrate its 25th anniversary – one of the most popular and iconic comedies of the nineties (the film was released on February 12, 1993 years). Blogger Kirill Razmyslovich (kiri2ll) has collected ten interesting facts about the immortal creation of Harold Ramis. Below are the words of the author.
1. Vampires are the starting point for the film’s plot
Original screenwriter Danny Rubin says the idea for the film came to him in the 1990s in a movie theater. That day, he had a recently read book about vampires with him. While waiting for the movie show to begin, Rubin thought about immortality, eternity, and how this experience would affect a person’s character. And at some point, Rubin remembered his old idea about a character constantly living the same day. This is what became the starting point for the plot of the new story.
After some thought, Rubin decided to write a screenplay about a man stuck in the same day and how that experience changes him. One of the main tasks was the right choice of that very day. Rubin went through several obvious choices, from Christmas to February 29th, and then decided to look into the holiday calendar. From it, he learned about Groundhog Day. Rubin immediately realized that he had found what he needed. The holiday was not too promoted and did not have any religious or political overtones. So he was perfect for the endlessly repeating day.
Unfortunately, I didn’t find Rubin’s early script, so I can only rely on what they write on the Internet. As far as we know, in its early version, the action began after Phil was stuck in a time loop. The audience had to see that the hero knows about all the upcoming events and gradually understand that he lives the same day again and again. Judging by the descriptions, the work was darker than the final film. In the final, Phil managed to break through to February 3rd, only to find out that Rita was also in a time loop and stuck in that day.
For a long time, Rubin could not sell his script. Things got off the ground only when the manuscript came to Harold Ramis. He liked the idea and agreed to direct the film.
During pre-production, Ramis made a number of changes to the script. For example, he decided to show Phil’s life before falling into the time loop, removed his voice-over and changed the ending. Also, at the insistence of the producers, an episode was added to the script in which Phil’s former passion (of course, very offended by him) performed a ritual during which she cast a spell and then broke the clock. This scene was supposed to explain how Phil got into the time loop. But later, Ramis nevertheless cut this episode, deciding to leave the cause of the hero’s adversity behind the scenes.
2. From a month to 10,000 years in the time loop
One of the most popular questions about Groundhog Day is, “How long did Phil spend in the time loop?” In the film itself, according to various estimates, were shown from 33 to 38 days spent by Phil in the town of Punxsutawney.
But, most likely, this is only a small fraction of real time. According to Danny Rubin, Phil spent 10,000 years in the time loop in the original script. Harold Ramis was much kinder. After the release of the film, he said that, in his opinion, Phil’s spiritual rebirth took about 10 years. In later interviews, he adjusted the figure to 30-40 years.
Some fansites are of the same opinion. Their estimates are based on calculations of the number of days needed to learn all the details about all the inhabitants of the city and the sequence of all the events that take place, learn to play the piano, create ice sculptures, etc.
3. Tom Hanks could play the lead role
Who else if not Bill Murray? And really, who else could portray such a dual character, combining such charm and such cynicism? Now it is extremely difficult to imagine another actor in the role of Phil. Add to this the fact that by that time Murray had already worked five times with Harold Ramis. It may seem that this role was always meant for him.
In reality, however, Murray was far from being the main candidate. Many comedians were considered for the role of Phil, ranging from Steve Martin to Chevy Chase. As a result, the proposal was awarded to Tom Hanks. But he had to refuse due to being busy on the set of Philadelphia. Hanks himself later said that this was probably for the best, since he was associated with the public exclusively with images of nice guys. If he played Phil, the audience would have been initially set up for the fact that his character would soon be corrected. Well, besides, “Philadelphia” brought him the first “Oscar”.
Michael Keaton also received an offer to star in the film. But he refused, considering the script too confusing, which he still regrets very much. Only then did Murray appear on the scene.
4. Difficulties of filming: artificial snow, the wrong city and a rabid marmot
One of the first associations that comes to mind when mentioning Groundhog Day is, of course, winter. The entire plot of the film is tied to this theme, from the purpose of the hero’s trip to such elements as a snow storm, ice sculptures, children with snowballs, etc.
It is all the more ironic that in reality the shooting of the film took place in the spring. They began on March 16, 1992 and ended in May. Since the real town of Punxsutawney did not look cinematic enough, its role was played by the city of Woodstock in Illinois. By the way, that spring was colder than usual. Snow fell even in May. But at the same time, the temperature rose several times to above +25 °C. Not surprisingly, the film crew had to use a lot of artificial snow.
Marmots have become a rather unexpected problem. According to Murray, he immediately hated the animals used on the set. Groundhogs either twice or thrice bit the actor. As a result, he had to undergo a course of rabies vaccinations.
5. Bill Murray’s foot has stepped here
I think all viewers remember well the gag with a hollow filled with melt water, which Phil often stepped into. This pothole was prepared specifically for the film: the film crew dismantled part of the city pavement. When the shooting was over, the filmmakers, of course, returned everything to its original position. After the release of the film, the residents of Woodstock decided to immortalize this place forever and placed such a commemorative plaque on it.
There is another commemorative plaque in Woodstock that says “Ned’s Corner”. I hope I don’t have to say which scene and which character in the movie is being referred to.
6. Groundhog Day was Michael Shannon’s debut feature
I’m not sure most average viewers know Michael Shannon’s name. But I think that many will at least remember him in person as General Zod from Man of Steel or the villain from the recent The Shape of Water. In general, during his career, Shannon starred in a large number of films and TV shows and has already been nominated for an Oscar twice. But the first time he appeared on the big screen was in Groundhog Day, in the role of a young man named Fred. He can be seen at the diner and also in the ending when his fiancée thanks Phil for his help.
Michael Shannon of 2017 According to Shannon, he hesitated for a long time to approach Bill Murray to express his admiration for him. When the young actor nevertheless plucked up courage, he did not find anything better than to ask Murray if he liked the songs of the Talking Heads group (at that moment Murray was listening to them). When Shannon said the question, he realized how stupid he sounded and became very embarrassed. And Murray completely turned him into a blush, answering with such an intonation, as if he were talking to a mentally handicapped child. Michael Shannon Sample 1993 years Shannon was even more embarrassed by Harold Ramis. Upon learning of the incident, the director brought Murray to him and forced the star to apologize. After that, Shannon decided that Murray completely hated him. However, according to Shannon, after a while he crossed paths with Murray at a French film festival. He recognized the actor, they had a nice talk, and then Murray even invited him to a cheese tasting.
7. It took 25 takes to shoot the scene of the final awakening of the characters.
One of the main snags of the film was the final scene. The film crew disagreed about how Phil and Rita’s perfect day ended – ie. whether they had sex (and they should wake up without clothes) or not (i.e. they should be in clothes). Bill Murray flatly refused to continue shooting until certainty was reached on this issue.
It came to voting, but that didn’t help either – the votes were divided exactly in half. In the end, Ramis did take the advice of the set designer’s assistant, who said that if Phil appeared bare-chested in the frame, it would spoil the mood of the whole film. But even after that, Ramis needed to do 25 takes of the awakening scene to find the right key.
8. Many channels organize a “Groundhog Day” marathon on Groundhog Day
In the quarter century since the film’s release, “Groundhog Day” has become the same essential attribute for February 2 as “Irony of Fate” for December 31 . On this day, many channels arrange real Ramis film marathons, showing it from morning to night. To be honest, I also wanted to repeat it several times at the end of the text, but I realized that it would be extremely stupid.
9. Many channels organize a Groundhog Day marathon on Groundhog Day
In the quarter of a century since the film’s release, Groundhog Day has become as inalienable an attribute for February 2 as “The Irony of Fate” for December 31 . On this day, many channels arrange real marathons of the Ramis film, showing it from morning to night … Forgive me, I still could not resist a little.
10. “Groundhog Day” forever quarreled between Bill Murray and Harold Ramis
In the history of cinematography, there are several creative tandems of an actor and a director who gave us a number of excellent films. For example, Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro. Or John Carpenter and Kurt Russell. Or Harold Ramis and Bill Murray. The cooperation between Ramis and Murray continued for several decades. And it included not only cinematography, but also theatrical performances, radio programs, sketches, and television shows. Ramis and Murray were very good friends. But Groundhog Day put an end to everything.
Murray was already known for his eccentric antics. But at that time he had just begun to divorce his first wife, which did not have the best effect on the mood of the actor. According to eyewitnesses, Murray was often late for filming, did strange things and constantly argued with Ramis. The actor wanted to give the film more “philosophical depth”, while the director wanted to focus on the comedic part.
According to the filming participants, over time, Murray’s behavior became more and more irrational and angry. So, he pestered Harold Ramis with numerous late-night calls and made many requests. At the same time, Murray stopped returning calls, refused to talk on set, and at the end of the day he simply ran away. When the actor was asked to hire a personal assistant through whom messages could be sent to him, he hired a deaf-mute. At the same time, Murray, of course, did not know sign language. As a result of this behavior, by the end of filming, there was no trace of the former friendship between Murray and Ramis.
Alas, in reality, not everything ends with a happy ending. After Groundhog Day, Harold Ramis and Bill Murray never rekindled their friendship. There is a version that, paradoxically, it was the success of the picture that was the last straw for Murray – he did not like the fact that all his most famous roles are associated with the name of Ramis. So the actor decided to slam the door and prove to the whole world that he can achieve everything himself.
Harold Ramis is known to have made several attempts at reconciliation. In particular, he offered Murray a role in the film Ice Harvest. But he ignored all his calls. In fact, over the next two decades, the former best friends exchanged only a couple of formal phrases. Shortly before his death, Ramis commented on the whole situation: “I dreamed many times that we would become friends again. It was great to imagine that feeling of reunion. Bill was a strong personality. He was our rock star. In the days when we were making all these comedies, we knew that no matter how bad the script was, he would always find a way to improve it with his improvisation. This is what united us, this was our bond. I helped him become as funny a Bill Murray as possible, and I think he appreciated it then. I don’t know how he feels about it now, but everything we did got on film. And whatever happens between us in the future, at least we will have all these moments.”
Only when Ramis was already dying, at the request of his brother, Murray still found the strength to come and visit his former friend. It is unlikely that we will know what their last conversation was about. I would like to hope that they still managed to reconcile.
How to motivate yourself to change if you are dragged into Groundhog Day
October 10, 2021Life
A couple of lists will help break out of a boring routine.
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Every day is the same: I have enough strength only to move from home to work and back, cook food, take care of children and perform a few other basic functions. But there are no resources to try something new, although you really want to dilute your usual routine, albeit a little.
So you’ve been sucked into Groundhog Day. The good news is that you can get out of it.
How to understand that Groundhog Day has come
This is not the same as the measured rhythm of life. Routine is not always bad. On the contrary, someone is comfortable when there is a clear schedule, stability and predictability. Here are a few signs that you are bogged down in Groundhog Day.
- Your every day is like the previous one, and it makes you sad.
- You want changes, but you don’t have enough strength to change something in your life.
- You are always depressed.
- You are not happy with what you do and the kind of people around you.
- You do not see any prospects, do not know where to move on and how to break the routine that has set the teeth on edge.
Things to get you out of Groundhog Day
Here are some ideas.
Finish unfinished business
Letters to finally send, paperwork to complete, filing cabinets to sort out, and dentists to make appointments all subtly drain your energy. Things that are not completed to the end fall on the shoulders with a heavy burden, whisper a sense of guilt, pull you down and prevent you from moving.
It turns out a vicious circle: old unfinished tasks do not allow setting goals and doing something new. Try to slowly, in small steps, finish what you started. Make a list of all the issues that need your attention. Start with the easy ones, the ones that take the least time: make a phone call, write a letter, take your clothes to the dry cleaners.
When you’ve done something, cross it off: it’s very pleasant, it lifts your spirits and helps you to believe in yourself. Once you cross out all the old tasks, you will have the space and inspiration to take on something new.
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Write down everything you do during the day
Conduct a thorough audit of your daily tasks. Include in the “report” everything you did – from brushing your teeth to reading before bed. Do not ignore even very small and seemingly insignificant things like washing dishes or taking a child to school.
Then look carefully at the list you have made and think about what you can remove from it. Perhaps some cases can be delegated to family members or special services, while others can be completely abandoned.
For example, instead of going to the store on your own, try to arrange delivery: it will cost the same, but save a couple of hours a week. Or try to spend less time in meaningless Internet surfing: it gives little, but it takes precious minutes and pumps out strength.
Even if it seems to you that all your affairs are extremely important and necessary, most likely you will be able to free at least an hour or two a week.
Write down everything you would like to do
Go to a dance? Learn English? Play the ukulele? Growing bonsai? Make a complete list of activities that you have long wanted to try. Do not think about how practical these activities and hobbies are, whether they will bring benefits and whether they will fit into your schedule. If it seems to you that it will be interesting and fun, feel free to add the activity to the list.
The very process of compiling it is very inspiring, uplifting, gives strength and motivation.
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Fill in the Blanks
When you’re done with the list, choose the one activity that’s most exciting—the one you’re ready to start right now. Maybe it will be tai-bo classes, or maybe clay modeling or sewing courses.
Now look at your updated daily schedule, where there are little empty slots. And write a new occupation in them. Let you have only 20 free minutes a day – that’s okay.