Punxsutawney Phil, the famous weather-predicting groundhog, will emerge from his burrow on Gobbler’s Knob on Feb. 2, to once again predict if winter will last another six weeks or if spring will arrive early.
The groundhog has been predicting weather for 127 years. While the average groundhog only lives six to eight weeks, according to the Punxsutawney Phil website, he is given a special drink every summer that gives him seven more years of life.
The first official Groundhogs day took place in 1887, but the legend can be traced back from Pennsylvania’s earliest settlers, who were German.
With Groundhogs day being so unique and having its roots in German traditions, we are led to the question — what other unique and interesting holidays are there?
International Students speak about their own unique holidays
President of the international students organization Juan Garcia originally hails from Colombia.
Garcia said Colombia really doesn’t have a holiday like Groundhog day, because “they don’t have seasons.”
However, there are New Year’s traditions or superstitions that people participate in.
He said there is a superstition that if you wear yellow underwear during New Year’s Eve, then that will bring prosperity and good fortune.
Garcia said another superstition they believe is if you want to travel, you should walk around the block carrying suitcases.
Sinclair student Maksym Gerasimov is originally from Ukraine. He came to the United States a year and a half ago.
He said Ukraine celebrates Women’s Day, taking place on March 8.
“It’s a huge holiday, we buy flowers [for] our teachers, our mothers, our grandmothers, our girlfriends… all the women — because this is the day when we cherish them,” Gerasimov said. “My sister, she’s only three years old, but I’m also trying to implement this idea in her mind that this day, this is her day.”
Rustam Saddatov was born in Russia, but is Turkish. He has lived in the United States for about eight years. When asked about holidays celebrated there, he said there are two major holidays, Ramazan Bayran and Kurban Bayran.
He said Ramazan Bayran occurs after fasting.
“For three days straight, we celebrate after fasting for a while and we eat sweets or anything we want,” Saddatov said. “Kurban Bayran… that’s a sacrificial day. It’s when you sacrifice a lamb or a cow and [share] the meat to everybody, whoever you know like your family members.”
Nilu Gagan is from India. She has lived in the United States for a year and a half.
“India is a country of diversity, so we don’t really celebrate only for Hindu’s or Muslims…we have a lot of holidays,” Gagan said.
Her favorite unique holidays are Uttrayan and Holi.
“[Uttrayan is] the festival of kites…from morning until evening everybody is flying kites…you make snacks and family visits you and friends and neighbors get together,” she said. “Holi is about colors so they all get together and throw colors on each other…on that day anybody can touch you or throw colors on you, you cannot stop them.”