Groundhog Day is celebrated in most (but not all) states in the continental U.S. Along with Hawaiʻi, 15 states across the nation forgo the tradition. The main celebration takes place every February 2 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
The star of this celebration is a groundhog (a type of squirrel, also callled a woodchuck) named Punxsutawney Phil. When Phil emerges from his lair, if it is sunny and he sees his shadow, he is “scared” back inside and there will be six more weeks of winter. If it is cloudy and he sees no shadow, spring will arrive early.
The tradition was established in colonial times and continues to this day despite no scientific proof that Philʻs prediction is accurate. Records indicate he is only correct 40% of the time. But it is a fun event and welcome harbinger of spring in a place where winters are cold.
Another 34 states host similar celebrations with local varmits of various types, such as opossum, prairie dogs, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, or other critters according to the local wldlife.
Of course in Hawai’i the tradition makes no sense at all. We have no groundhogs as they are native only to North America. We do have several rodents, all of which were introduced and now cause great damage to native plant and animal species.
There is the endangered ʻōpeʻapeʻa (Hawaiian hoary bat), a species endemic to the islands, but she does not hibernate. In any case, we have only two seasons: dry or summer (May-October) and wet or winter (November-April). So the whole concept of more winter or early spring doesn’t really hold up.
Winter shifts the summer northeasterly trade winds to southwesterly Kona winds, bringing more frequent rain and slightly lower temparatures. So in February, the hoary bat would expect Kona winds and continue business as usual.
Plus, there are many other signals in nature traditionally used by Hawaiians to determine when to fish or harvest or travel by canoe: length of days, stars in the sky, position of the sun, direction of the swell, plants in bloom.
Nevertheless, we have some good suggestions for enjoying the tradition of Groundhog Day.
- February of course is prime Humpback whale season. When and where to watch whales for free in Hawaiʻi (hawaiionthecheap.com)
- To find out what produce is in season, head to your nearest farmers market: Hawaiian Islands Farmers Markets (hawaiionthecheap.com)
- Tune in to nature at a botanical garden. 30 stunning botanical gardens you can visit in Hawai’i (hawaiionthecheap.com)
- A trip to the Honolulu zoo is always a great family outing. For Groudhog Day, we especially like the idea of a Twilight Tour. More info: Oʻahu: All about visiting the Honolulu Zoo (hawaiionthecheap.com)
Event calendar of free and cheap things to do
Listed below are all events on our calendar for the next 60 days.
multiple locations
