The tradition is celebrated with great festivities in Punxsutawney, USA, but also in other parts of the world, such as in Canada: Groundhog Day. But, in Val-d’Espoir, Quebec, the holiday is marked by the death of the main person being celebrated – the groundhog.

Folklore says that every February 2, groundhogs come out of their burrows to “predict”, depending on whether they see their own shadow or not, whether winter will last six weeks or whether spring weather is coming soon.

In Val-d’Espoir, Fred the marmot (who has his “cousin” Punxsutawney Phil in the United States) had the honor of predicting but, this Thursday, the president of the organizing committee of the festivities went to try to bring out the animal from the hole and found it dead, apparently during the hibernation period.
At the moment, according to Radio Canada, we announce “the death of Fred the groundhog”.

In keeping with tradition, and despite the death of the real marmot, Quebec organizers waved a stuffed marmot so that those present could celebrate the prediction of a late spring in six weeks.

The prediction was the same as Phil, the Punxsutawney groundhog.

The tradition of “weather marmots” has its roots in Catholic traditions of the day of the presentation of Jesus in time.

Tradition had it that on February 2, Christians carried candles to be blessed in churches. It is, according to popular belief, a way to bring abundance to the house and blessings for the rest of the winter.

Over time, height began to be associated with predicting the length of winter. In Germany, it is believed that the idea has spread that if on this day a hedgehog, emerging from hibernation, saw its own shadow, there would be a “second winter”, that is, say six more weeks of cold weather. When German settlers arrived in the United States, they introduced traditions and legends.

Since there were no hedgehogs in the United States, another hibernating animal was chosen: the groundhog. It began to be celebrated in Punxsutawney in 1886, according to the oldest newspapers.