Homeschooling Groundhog Day: Who is Punxsutawney Phil?

<h1>Homeschooling Groundhog Day: Who is Punxsutawney Phil?</h1>Author: <a title="Mimi Rothschild" href="http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/mimi-rothschild/21745.htm">Mimi Rothschild</a> Punxsutawney Phil is a 120 year old groundhog. A groundhog, also known as a woodchuck, is a plant-eating member of the squirrel family known to infuriate farmers and drivers in rural areas. But Phil is seemingly no ordinary groundhog.

In 1723, the Delaware Indians settled in the Punxsutawney, PA area. Near Pittsburgh, this small town was named after the Indian word for “sandflies” that populated the area. In 1886 the Punxsutawney Spirit dubbed a particular groundhog "Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary”. That first year, Phil did not see his shadow, signifying early spring.

Each year since, a groundhog called Punxsutawney Phil (the original Phil died over a century ago of course) is closely observed on “Gobbler’s Knob” so that journalists and hobbyists all over the country can report the next six weeks of weather.

There are other cities that have similar Groundhog Day mascots. For instance, Wiarton Willie is Canada’s answer to Punxsutawney Phil. In 1956, Mac McKenzie held a Groundhog Day party just for fun. The party was visited by a Toronto reporter who was dismayed to find that he did not have much of a story to report. So Willie grabbed his wife’s fur hat, burrowed into the snow, and came out with a prognostication. No one remembers what the prediction was, but a picture of Willie became a famous image in the newspaper. Brandon Bob, Grundoon, Muldoon, and Sand Dune, Balzac Billie, Staten Island Chuck, Gary the Groundhog, Shubenacadie Sam, and other groundhogs are observed in other cities around North America. Punxsutawney’s tourism board insists that these other groundhogs are imposters.

About the Author: Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling parent, author, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of almost 3 decades reside with their 8 children in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 
 
Rothschild co-founded Learning By Grace, Inc. because "our current system of education has broken its promise..." Learning By Grace, Inc. delivers Internet-based multimedia education to PreK-12 children in the United States and throughout the world. 
 
Rothschild has authored a number of books about education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Daily Education News Blog contains feature stories on alternatives in education. 
Article Source: <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/">ArticlesBase.com</a> - <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/homeschooling-articles/homeschooling-groundhog-day-who-is-punxsutawney-phil-141222.html" title="Homeschooling Groundhog Day: Who is Punxsutawney Phil?">Homeschooling Groundhog Day: Who is Punxsutawney Phil?</a>

Punxsutawney Phil is a 120 year old groundhog. A groundhog, also known as a woodchuck, is a plant-eating member of the squirrel family known to infuriate farmers and drivers in rural areas. But Phil is seemingly no ordinary groundhog.

In 1723, the Delaware Indians settled in the Punxsutawney, PA area. Near Pittsburgh, this small town was named after the Indian word for “sandflies” that populated the area. In 1886 the Punxsutawney Spirit dubbed a particular groundhog "Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary”. That first year, Phil did not see his shadow, signifying early spring.

Each year since, a groundhog called Punxsutawney Phil (the original Phil died over a century ago of course) is closely observed on “Gobbler’s Knob” so that journalists and hobbyists all over the country can report the next six weeks of weather.

There are other cities that have similar Groundhog Day mascots. For instance, Wiarton Willie is Canada’s answer to Punxsutawney Phil. In 1956, Mac McKenzie held a Groundhog Day party just for fun. The party was visited by a Toronto reporter who was dismayed to find that he did not have much of a story to report. So Willie grabbed his wife’s fur hat, burrowed into the snow, and came out with a prognostication. No one remembers what the prediction was, but a picture of Willie became a famous image in the newspaper. Brandon Bob, Grundoon, Muldoon, and Sand Dune, Balzac Billie, Staten Island Chuck, Gary the Groundhog, Shubenacadie Sam, and other groundhogs are observed in other cities around North America. Punxsutawney’s tourism board insists that these other groundhogs are imposters.

Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling parent, author, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of almost 3 decades reside with their 8 children in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Rothschild co-founded Learning By Grace, Inc. because "our current system of education has broken its promise..." Learning By Grace, Inc. delivers Internet-based multimedia education to PreK-12 children in the United States and throughout the world.

Rothschild has authored a number of books about education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Daily Education News Blog contains feature stories on alternatives in education.

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Article Tags: Online Education, Home Schooling, Homeschooling, Online Homeschooling, Christian Homeschooling

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