Every year the whole country waits to see a cute, furry little animal’s reaction to his shadow.

As strange as American customs can be, this one is definitely at the top of the list. Sure, we learned about this holiday in elementary school, but why not find out how much you really know about this age-old tradition.

1. True or False? The original tradition involved a hedgehog casting a shadow and was brought over from Germany.
    
2. True or False? The Germans chose the American groundhog because of its close relation to the German hedgehog.
    
3. What is the original groundhog’s name?
    
4. Just how accurate is Phil?
   
   A. 87%
   B. 50%
   C. 17%
   D. 39%
    
5. True or False? According to Groundhog Day officials, the world’s most popular groundhog, Phil, has been forecasting the weather from his hob in Pennsylvania for over 125 years.

 

SPOILER ALERT! Answers on the next page...

ANSWERS

1. True.
2. False, they chose the groundhog simply because it looks similar to the hedgehog and they believed it to be the most intelligent creature for the job.
3. Punxsutawney Phil from the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania who makes his home on a hill called Gobbler’s Knob.
4. d. 39%
5. True, So how has Phil managed to achieve immortality? The event's official site claims that Phil has been kept alive over the years by drinking a unique “elixir of life” recipe, and therefore has and always will be around every Groundhog Day. “Phil takes one sip every summer at the Groundhog Picnic,” reads the site, adding, that the drink's magical properties keep him alive for “seven more years" at a time.

And now you know!

Maybe next February 2nd you’ll be one of the 40,000 that make the trip to see the immortal Punxsutawney Phil.

Curious as to why we celebrate Groundhogs Day? Find out more here.