Five Things , You Probably Didn't Know , About Groundhog Day.br 1. Groundhog Day's roots br stretch far back into history. , According to Mental Floss, Imbolc was an ancient br pagan celebration of the beginning of spring.br 1. Groundhog Day's roots br stretch far back into history. , According to Mental Floss, Imbolc was an ancient br pagan celebration of the beginning of spring.br Later, Christians would celebrate Candlemas, a feast day that fell 40 days after Christmas. .br 2. The first modern br Groundhog Day event br was held in 1887. , According to Mental Floss, it took br place in Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney. .br 2. The first modern br Groundhog Day event br was held in 1887. , According to Mental Floss, it took br place in Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney. .br 3. Punxsutawney Phil actually br has a hit-or-miss record br at predicting the weather.br According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric br Association, the groundhog was only rightbr 50 of the time between 2011 and 2020.br Not bad for a rodent br asked by humans br to predict the weather. .br 4. According to the lore, br Punxsutawney Phil is 135 years old now. , Normally, groundhogs live to be approximately six years old. .br However, thanks to a magical elixir, br Phil has been predicting the weather since 1887. .br Of course, he's only been called Phil since 1961. , Before that he was known as "Br'er Groundhog" br or "The Punxsutawney Groundhog.".br 5. Punxsutawney Phil goes to Washington, To celebrate Phil's 100th birthday, he traveled to the br White House and met with President Ronald Reagan. .br 5. Punxsutawney Phil goes to Washington, To celebrate Phil's 100th birthday, he traveled to the br White House and met with President Ronald Reagan. .br According to Mental Floss, when Phil isn't br making his annual prediction, he lives with br his wife Phyllis in a sanctuary in the town library. .br According to Mental Floss, when Phil isn't br making his annual prediction, he lives with br his wife Phyllis in a sanctuary in the town library.