By: Tim Riley
Punxsutawney, Pa., may have Punxsutawney Phil but Unadilla, Neb., has Unadilla Bill. Then Governor Kay Orr officially declared the Groundhog Day celebration "Groundhog Capital of Nebraska" in 1988. "The actual proclamation was signed by William Nichols because Governor Orr was out of the state," said Community Foundation President, Barb Wilhelm, "which is how the groundhog got its name." According to Wilhelm, Countryside Bank President, Bob Brandt, is credited for starting the event back in 1987. "An avid gardener, he got tired of this groundhog ruining his cabbages so he had it trapped and stuffed," she said. "This gave the town an excuse to have a celebration and it just continued from year-to-year." The day's events include a silent auction, parade, king and queen coronation, and ends with a poker event. Weather permitting the Lincoln Sport Parachute Club will kick-off the parade with a jump landing in Main Street. This year's parade marshal is Rochelle Rohlfs, head volleyball coach for Marian High School. Coach Rohlfs grew up in Syracuse, east of Unadilla. Unadilla Bills king and queen are chosen from five candidates. "The town votes by placing money in jars around town," Wilhelm explained. "Whoever has the most money at the end of the day is crowned king and queen with all proceeds going to the towns Rescue Squad; last year coronation raised over $4,000." Unadilla (population 342) is located 60 miles southeast of Omaha in Otoe County. For more information visit Unadilla's website at www.unadilla.com or call 402-828-5725. Groundhog Day is celebrated on February 2, and is solely a North American tradition. It is based on a belief that on this day the groundhog, or woodchuck, comes out of its hole after winter hibernation to look for its shadow. If the shadow is seen, the groundhog foretells 'six more weeks of bad weather' and thus a lingering winter. However, if no shadow is seen, then spring is coming. The weather prediction came as an important feature of the Groundhog Day tradition. This prediction owes its origin to the European tradition of Candlemas, also celebrated on February 2. Candlemas was used to commemorate the purification of the Virgin Mary and candles would be blessed on this day. There is an old European belief that a sunny Candlemas day would lead winter to last for 'another six weeks.' Gradually the traditions of Candlemas came to associate with different folklores. The Germans added the belief of an animal, initially a hedgehog, being frightened by his shadow on Candlemas would predict that winter would last another six weeks. The German settlers brought this belief to America during the 18th Century. These settlers adopted the groundhog as their weather predictor. Thanks to the combined effort of Clymer H. Freas, a newspaper editor, and W. Smith, an American Congressman and newspaper publisher. They organized and popularized a yearly festival in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania; the State was populated predominantly by German settlers. The festival featured a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil, which used to foretell how long the winter would last.
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