Do you know the origins of Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil?

Gene J. Puskar/AP

Groundhog Club handler Ron Ploucha holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, as co-handler John Griffiths rubs his head, during the 129th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Monday, Feb. 2, 2015. Phil's handlers said that the groundhog has forecast six more weeks of winter weather. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

By: MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press

KUTZTOWN, Pa. (AP) — The spotlight returns to Gobbler's Knob in western Pennsylvania this week, when handlers of a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil will announce his verdict — six more weeks of winter or an early spring.

Thousands are expected to attend the annual event that exploded in popularity after the 1993 Bill Murray movie, "Groundhog Day."

It's part of a tradition rooted in European agricultural life and marks the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Phil predicts more winter far more often than he predicts an early spring.

Several who have looked at his record have concluded Phil's weather reports are worse than an even-money bet.

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Do you know the origins of Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil?

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