Just out if curiosity, how many of you watch the news? More importantly, how many of you make sure to tune in to the news on Groundhog Day? Much of the logic behind Punxsutawney Phil is flawed. Why does a rodent think he can see into the future and predict the weather?

We overlook the concept of Groundhog Day in the first place. A groundhog named Phil is the top news story for the span of a few days. Professional news anchors, dressed in tuxedos and button down shirts, pick up microphones and discuss whether a groundhog saw a shadow or not. If it was a cute idea for the tradition of the town of Punxsutawney, I would be all-for the holiday.

However, that’s the biggest problem. Groundhog Day is not a cute holiday celebrated for the tradition of a small town. In fact, this holiday is very similar to Christmas, or Halloween. All of these holidays are centered on making money.

When researching Groundhog Day, I found an interesting website that claimed to be for “The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club”. This was interesting to me because, on the homepage, I was welcomed by advertisements. The official website of Groundhog Day promotes events which families have to buy tickets to in order to attend. When users look for fun facts about the holiday, they might discover absurd things that say, “Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking the ‘elixir of life,’ a secret recipe. Phil takes one sip every summer at the Groundhog Picnic and it magically gives him seven more years of life.” I just feel as though having a whole website dedicated to advertising and trying to sell merchandise, when it should be about a holiday, is misleading.

Next to having a faulty website, the concept of the shadow comes next. I do not understand how if “Phil” sees his shadow, there is six more weeks of winter. I always thought that the legend would make more sense if it were the other way around. If the groundhog saw his shadow, it would mean that the sun was out and ready for spring. If the groundhog did not see his shadow, it was because the sun was not ready for spring, therefore bringing us six more weeks of winter. Somebody needs to step up to this “official” Groundhog Day website and tell them to re-evaluate their holiday.