Shubenacadie Sam looks around after emerging from his burrow at the wildlife park in Shubenacadie, N.S. on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, 2018. The beloved and occasionally controversial annual event that inspired the classic Bill Murray comedy film will see celebrity rodents make their spring predictions today. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Celebrity groundhog Shubenacadie Sam slowly waddled out of her tiny barn this morning and, under a grey Nova Scotia sky, reportedly could not see her shadow.
According to centuries-old folklore, that’s good news for Canadians tired of wintry weather.
The tradition holds that if a groundhog doesn’t see its shadow on Groundhog Day, springlike weather will soon arrive.
But if a shadow appears, winter’s icy grip won’t let go for quite some time.
At 8 a.m. local time, the door to Sam’s enclosure was opened by provincial Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton, but Sam – or Samantha – did not come out until about five minutes later when she immediately ducked into a thicket of evergreens and disappeared.
As usual, Shubenacadie Sam was the first groundhog in North America to make a prediction.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2024.
