GROUNDHOG DAY

( in the US ) 2 February. According to tradition, if the groundhog (= a small animal that lives under the ground) comes out of its hole after its winter sleep on that day and sees its own shadow, it is frightened by it and goes back down its hole. This means that there will be six more weeks of winter. If it sees no shadow, it is a sign that there will be an early spring. In many US communities people watch for the appearance of a groundhog on Groundhog Day. The best-known of these places is Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania , where the groundhog is always called Phil.