Groundhog Day 2024 has officially came and went.
And, per our groundhog overlord, Punxsutawney Phil, winter is almost over!
The legendary rodent, who has been predicting when winter will end since 1887 (yes, it is the same one. Don’t ask!), did not see his shadow, letting us know that an early Spring is on the horizon.
Please do not question the methods or accuracy of our guy Punxsutawney Phillip.
It marks the first time since 2020 that Phil has not seen his shadow, and just the 21st time all-time that we’ve gotten an early spring prediction.
But there was bigger news afoot!
Real Groundhog Day heads know that the ceremony takes place in a middle-of-nowhere Pennsylvania town named Punxsutawney. But only the true diehards note that Punxsutawney Phil actually has his own area in the town called Gobbler’s Knob.
Which, if you’re just discovering now, is an absolutely preposterous name for several reasons.
Now, most people probably aren’t aware of this fact. Or, at least, it wasn’t information that stuck in their mind.
But many on Twitter found out, or were reminded, on Friday. And the result was about as hilarious as you’d imagine.
Don’t know how I missed that the groundhog lives in Gobbler’s Knob all this time #realeaters pic.twitter.com/HlowiNa9RE
— yc (@yc)
Wait, did everybody else just know this town was called "Gobbler's Knob" and not say anything? https://t.co/ELKnNBkcWg
— Neil (@NeilSandwich)
How does anyone say Gobbler's Knob with a straight face?
— Mitch Rupert (@Mitch_Rupert)
#katie: “i feel bad for him! they made his whole life a joke! they named him punxsutawney phil and made him live at GOBBLER’S KNOB! no. genuinely i feel bad for him.”
— genius jules (@julesy102)
The fact that we depend on a rodent from a place called Gobbler’s Knob to forecast our weather, really shows where we are as a nation. https://t.co/phB6k63kXv
— The_Joker8675309 (@Georgia_Joker)
It’s an absolutely ridiculous name to go with an equally ridiculous tradition.
But…maybe there’s some logic to it.
According to Business Insider:
“Like badgers, groundhogs, also known as woodchucks or whistlepigs, are considered ‘true hibernators.’ When they emerge from hibernation, it means winter is almost over. In winter months, their body temperature drops 62 degrees.
“Comparatively, if a human body temperature drops just four degrees, it goes into hypothermia. A groundhog’s hibernating heartbeat is only five beats per minute. In warmer months, its heart beats 80 times per minute. Their breathing slows down in winter too. It can go from 16 breaths per minute to about two during hibernation”
See. Don’t doubt the legend Punxsutawney Phil.
The post Twitter Users Are Absolutely Shocked To Learn The Name Of Punxsutawney Phil’s Home appeared first on BroBible.