Kevin (McGrath): Yes, I believe that Groundhog Day is widely recognized in the US, though perhaps for most it's not more than a curiosity. On the other hand, there are Groundhog Club chapters in California, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, as well as in Canada (in Calgary, Alberta). The movie did a lot to spread the word about the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and its annual tradition of pulling poor Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog out of his warm bed and holding him in the air, proclaiming his prediction concerning the end of winter. But, of course, the tradition existed long before the movie!

Here's a web page that describes the relationship between Candlemas and Groundhog Day: Groundhog Day History: European Roots.

Also, check out groundhog.com and groundhog.org Bear in mind that, this year, the date of the celebration will be 02/02/02 and that it falls on a Saturday, so Punxsutawney is definitely the place to be! (Good luck finding a place to park, though.)

To answer your question about the animal itself, the groundhog is also called a woodchuck (as well as many four-letter words uttered by gardeners!), defined as "a grizzled, thickset marmot (Marmota monax) of the northeastern US and Canada; also any of several marmots of mountainous western North America." The marmot, in turn, is defined as "a stout-bodied, short-legged burrowig rodent with coarse fur, a short bushy tail, and very small ears." I would describe it as being far more similar, in body type, to a badger than a squirrel (but with a gentler disposition and a more squirrel-like head). The fur is brown with no discernable markings. When seen above ground, they move with a sort of lumpy waddle. And when they cross the road, they take their good ol' time about it. I've heard them nicknamed as "grinnies" by a friend from Ohio; perhaps catspaw can verify this as being a local term. They'd be more endearing if they weren't so destructive!