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Shubenacadie Sam is a Canadian groundhog who lives at the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park in the town of Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia. Every February 2, on Groundhog Day, Sam's shadow is closely observed at 08:00 AST to make the traditional prediction whether there will be an early spring. Due to Nova Scotia's Atlantic Time Zone, Sam makes the first Groundhog Day prediction in North America.

The prediction ceremony draws an early-morning festive crowd of about 200 families and visitors to the wildlife park, sometimes heralded by a groundhog mascot, bagpiper and town crier. The wildlife park, usually only open on weekends in the winter, changes its seasonal hours to open especially for the annual ritual. Shubenacadie Sam predicted an early spring in 2024.

History

Nova Scotian Groundhog Day traditions arrived with German Foreign Protestant immigrants in the 1750s who settled around Lunenburg where the day was known as "Daks Day" (from the German dachs for badger) after the belief that badgers could predict the coming of spring on February 2. The Shubenacadie Sam tradition at the wildlife park began about 1987 and differs from most other famous groundhogs as he is not woken from hibernation for Groundhog Day. By 2018, four ground hogs had served as "Shubenacadie Sam" since the practice began in Nova Scotia, as groundhogs usually live 10-15 years in captivity. In 2021, a 7-year-old female groundhog, "Samantha", assumed the prediction duties. Park employees have served as the caretaker for Shubenacadie Sam and the park's groundhogs for over 20 years. They provide breakfast for the groundhog, usually yogurt and melon. Staff also read to the groundhog who has been designated an advocate for Family Literacy Day. Shubenacadie Sam inspired a children's book in 2022. Pages of the book are displayed around the park offering visitors a groundhog tour of the park. The ceremony was held virtually by web streaming during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and 2022 but live gatherings resumed in 2023.

Biting incident

In 2018, Sam bit the finger of CBC reporter Brett Ruskin when the reporter grabbed the groundhog to stop Sam from climbing out of the groundhog enclosure.

Predictions

Shubenacadie Sam's prediction, like all weather-predicting groundhogs, bears little relation to seasonal weather trends as it is based on random location conditions, according to Meteorologist Cindy Day. Shubenacadie Sam has an accuracy rate of about 45%, according to Day, compared to 39% for Punxsutawney Phil and 25% for Wiarton Willie.

Background

While Shubenacadie offers the earliest prediction every year, it is one of many towns throughout North America known for their winter-predicting groundhogs. The most famous is Punxsutawney Phil of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, United States. The most famous Canadian groundhog is Wiarton Willie in Ontario, Canada. Sam shares the Nova Scotia prediction every year with "Two Rivers Tunnel" in Cape Breton at the Two Rivers Wildlife Park in Mira River, Nova Scotia, although "Two Rivers Tunnel" is awakened for its prediction just after 11 am instead of 8 am. Promoters of a lobster festival in Barrington Passage, Nova Scotia created a "Lucy the Lobster" ritual in 2018 with a lobster that crawled from the water to a lobster trap on Groundhog Day.

Notes

1. "Shubenacadie Sam to Make Annual Prediction" Nova Scotia Government Dept. of Natural Resources Press Release Jan. 28, 2010
2. Raissa Tetanish, "Shubenacadie Sam gearing up for his big day", Truro Daily News, February 1, 2016
3. Nicole Munro, "Shubenacadie Sam Predicts an Early Spring", Halifax Herald, Saltwire News, Feb. 2, 2023
4. Kate Bueckert, "Wiarton Willie, Shubenacadie Sam and Fred la marmotte predict early spring", CBC, Feb. 2, 2024
5. Wilson, Harry (1959). The dialect of Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia: a study of the English of the county, with reference to its sources, preservation of relics, and vestiges of bilingualism (PhD thesis). University of Michigan. p. 52. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
6. Poteet, Lewis J. (2004) , The South Shore Phrase Book (New, revised, and expanded ed.), Hantsport: Lancelot Press, ISBN 9780595311941, archived from the original on August 2, 2020, retrieved December 26, 2017
7. ""N.S. Groundhog Dodges Hiberation in Heated House", Novanet News Now, Feb. 2, 2007". Archived from the original on 2007-05-09. Retrieved 2010-02-03.
8. Jacon Boon, "Shubenacadie sham!", The Coast, February 1, 2018
9. Ian Fairclough, "No shadow of a doubt: Shubenacadie Sam pokes head into storm, predicts early spring" Chronicle Herald, February 2, 2021
10. Carrie Stanton, "Review: Groundhog Night: Shubenacadie Sam’s Shadow by Doretta Groenendyk", Miramichi Reader, December 15, 2022
11. Natalie Lombard, "Shubenacadie Sam sees shadow, predicts six more weeks of winter", CTV News Atlantic, Feb. 2, 2023
12. "Groundhog Day 2018: Mixed signals and a near escape", CBC News, February 2, 2018
13. Tom Ayers, "Shubenacadie Sam unlikely to see his shadow", Chronicle Herald, January 31, 2018a
14. Kate Bueckert, "Wiarton Willie, Shubenacadie Sam and Fred la marmotte predict early spring", CBC, Feb. 2, 2024
15. Natalie Lombard, "Shubenacadie Sam sees shadow, predicts six more weeks of winter", CTV News Atlantic, Feb. 2, 2023
16. "Nova Scotia’s groundhog Shubenacadie Sam sees shadow, predicts six more weeks of wintry weather", The Globe and Mail, Feb. 2, 2022
17. Allan April, "Shubenacadie Sam calls for an early Spring", CTV News, February 2, 2021
18. Lynn Curwin, "Shubenacadie Sam predicts another six weeks of winter", The Chronicle Herald, February 2, 2020
19. "Keep your parkas handy. Shubenacadie Sam predicts long winter". CBC.ca. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
20. "Shubenacadie Sam predicts early spring". HalifaxToday.ca. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
21. Cassie Williams, "Shubenacadie Sam says it's going to be an early spring" ‘’CBC‘’ February 2, 2017
22. "Shubenacadie Sam doesn't see shadow, predicts early spring" ‘’CBC‘’ February 2, 2016
23. "Shubenacadie Sam predicts 6 more weeks of winter” ‘’CBC’’ February 2, 2015
24. "Groundhog Day 2014: Wiarton Willie, Punxsutawney Phil, Shubenacadie Sam Make Their Forecasts” ‘’Huffington Post Canada’’ February 2, 2014
25. "Groundhog Day predictions mixed for early spring", CBC News Feb. 2, 2014
26. “Shubenacadie Sam sees shadow, says embrace winter” ‘’Chronicle Herald’’ Truro Bureau, February 2, 2013
27. “Groundhog Day 2012: Wiarton Willie, Shubenacadie Sam predict early spring; Punxsutawney Phil calls for more winter” ‘’National Post’’, February 2, 2012
28. ""Shubenacadie Sam Does Not See Shadow", Ducks Unlimited, Feb. 2, 2011". Archived from the original on 2014-02-20. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
29. “Shubenacadie Sam sees shadow”, ‘ ‘Chronicle Herald Live’ ‘, February 2, 2010
30. "No surprises as Wiarton Willy and pals predict more winter". London Free Press (London, ON). February 2, 2009.
31. “No shadow for Wiarton Willie, Shubenacadie Sam - early end to Canadian winter” Feb. 2, 2008
32. “Groundhogs Sam, Willie and Phil say spring is near” ‘ ‘CTV News’ ‘ February 2, 2007
33. "Shubie Sam says no more winter”, CBC News, Feb. 2, 2006
34. "Six more weeks of winter: Cape Breton's Two Rivers Tunnel makes annual Groundhog Day prediction" Saltwite News, Feb. 2, 2022
35. Tina Comeau, "Lucy the Lobster does not see her shadow on Groundhog Day morning in a new South Shore N.S. twist on an old tradition", Yarmouth County Vanguard, February 2, 2018

External links

• Shubenacadie Sam "Groundhog", Shubenacadie Provincial Wildlife Park website

• Culture of Canada
• Culture of Nova Scotia
• Individual groundhogs
• Holiday characters
• Hants County, Nova Scotia
• Oracular animals
• Individual animals in Canada
• Groundhog Day