Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow when he emerged from his den in western Pennsylvania early Sunday with his weather forecast that there will be six more weeks of winter. If Phil had not seen his shadow, it could have meant Spring is coming. This weather prediction has a history of 132 years.
Ahead of the prediction today, Peta opposed the exploitation of Phil and proposed that Phil should retire and a vegan weather reveal cake should replace Phil. The proposed cake when cut would show one of two colors: blue, signifying six more weeks of winter, or pink, indicating an early spring.
PETA president Ingrid Newkirk explained her offer in the letter: “Retire Phil to a reputable sanctuary with his family, and every year we’ll provide a giant vegan ‘Weather Reveal’ cake (it would be the first in the world this year) to share with revelers at Gobbler’s Knob.”
“If the inside of the cake is blue, there will be six more weeks of winter. If it’s pink, there will be an early spring,” she added. “This would allow you to still make tourism dough while showing Phil a slice of decency. It would be as least as accurate as asking a groundhog what to expect in a way that doesn’t even reflect his nature.”
Pennsylvania Gov Josh Shapiro reacted to Peta’s proposed and said, “Some folks out there who say we should take this great tradition and get rid of Phil and replace him with a cake, that’s their crazy idea. Hear me on this Punxsawtawney, if anybody comes for Phil, they’re gonna have to come through me and all of you am I right.”
Groundhog Day originates in the Feb. 2 holiday of Candlemas in Europe, where Christians would take candles to a church to have them blessed.