Duluth Kids Dig Into History of Groundhog Day

At the Gary New Duluth Rec Center, kids got to learn all about Groundhogs, the history of the holiday, and other fun facts.

DULUTH, Minn- On Tuesday, we’ll find out if we get six more weeks of winter or an early spring on Groundhog Day — and on Monday some kids in Duluth learned more about the tradition.

As part of the YMCA’s twice-a-week programming at the Gary New Duluth Rec Center, kids got to learn all about Groundhogs, the history of the holiday, and other fun facts and woodchuck-related crafts.

One fact — the tradition originated in Germany where they used hedgehogs before it popped up in America in the 1800s, where Groundhogs were used.

“It’s a chance for the kids to learn a little bit of nature, a little bit of the fun of Groundhog’s Day, little bit of the history of it and a lot of the science of Groundhogs, those big giant squirrels,” said Leslie Bucar, Youth and Site  Coordinator for the YMCA.  “And some of the history that maybe they didn’t already know.”

According to Bucar, the next activity for the kids is ice fishing.