56: groundhog Feb 2, 2015

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Happy Groundhog Day everyone. The tradition which made this American and Canadian national holiday what it is today is a German one. It came over as the Germans settled in the hills of Pennsylvania. This is why Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania has been chosen as the site for the annual Groundhog day event.
The word 'groundhog', which is just another term for 'woodchuck', or 'land-beaver', and (known colloquially as) a 'whistlepig', was derived in the late 18th century from the words 'ground' and 'hog', on account of the fact that they are rodents that live in holes in the ground. This very literal etymology differs from the creature's other name, 'woodchuck' which is derived from the Algonquin name 'wuchak'.

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