The History Behind Ground Hog Day Happy Ground Hog Day everyone! Sure, it's a cute fun holiday we celebrate every year but where did this annual tradition of 'let's watch a rodent for a little bit to see how he reacts to his shadow' come into play? And why on the second day of February? Turns out the date of February where Ground Hog Day lands is exactly halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. There's also another reason as to why we celebrate Ground Hog day today according to History: "As Christianity spread through Europe, Imbolc evolved into Candlemas, a feast commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the holy temple in Jerusalem. In certain parts of Europe, Christians believed that a sunny Candlemas meant another 40 days of cold and snow"-History.