History of Groundhog Day:

When German settlers arrived in the United States in the 1700s, they brought a tradition known as Candlemas Day.  Candlemas Day came at the mid-point between the Winter and the Spring seasons.  Superstition told that if the weather was nice on that day, the second half of winter would be stormy and cold.  These settlers first celebrated “Groundhog’s Day” in Pennsylvania — “Punxsutawney Phil” from Punxsutawney. First groundhog day was February 2, 1887.