It is one of only six non-island locations in the 48 contiguous states not directly connected to them by land, which are exclaves of the U.S. The original name of the town, Alburgh, was changed to Alburg in 1891 by recommendation of the United States Board on Geographic Names.
In 1997, there were 35,000 visitors in Punxsutawney, five times the Jefferson County town's 6,700 population. The Groundhog Day festivities on February 2, 1992 were joined by Bill Murray studying for his role in the movie. Then, Columbia Pictures set out to recreate the Punxsutawney Groundhog Day down to the smallest detail. There were, however, many changes made.
Groundhog Day in Canada focuses on the concept of a groundhog coming out of its home in mid-winter to âpredictâ if spring is on its way in the northern hemisphere. The groundhog attracts media attention on Groundhog Day in Canada. Â©iStockphoto.com/David P. Lewis What Do People Do? Many Canadians celebrate Groundhog Day. Some Christian churches also celebrate Candlemas on this day, while others use Groundhog Day to take down their Christmas decorations. Groundhog Day is growing more and more popular in Canada. There is a festival in Wiarton, Bruce County, Ontario, where the town groundhog, Wiarton Willie, delivers his âpredictionâ early in the morning on February 2 every year.