3202: Groundhog Day Meaning
| Groundhog Day Meaning |
 Title text: Originally, the ceremony used a variety of rodents and mustelids, but over time most people agreed it made sense to standardize on a specific individual ground squirrel in Pennsylvania. |
Explanation
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This is one of 63 incomplete explanations: This page was created by someone stuck in a time loop. Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page! |
This comic was posted on Groundhog Day, February 2nd. Cueball is shown explaining the holiday to Black Hat.
Groundhog Day originates from a superstition regarding the behaviour of a groundhog. Supposedly, if the groundhog does not see its shadow, the spring thaw is likely to happen shortly thereafter. If it does see its shadow, however, it is frightened and retreats into its burrow, and six more weeks of winter await.
Groundhog Day is also the title of a film starring Bill Murray. In the film, Murray's character is trapped in a time loop centered on Groundhog Day; no matter how his day ends - whether by falling asleep at the end of the day or dying somewhere during the event - he wakes up on the morning of Groundhog Day again, retaining his memories of the previous loop(s) while the rest of the world sees nothing amiss. The movie has become synonymous with the plot element of a time loop in English-speaking cultures.
Black Hat, apparently representing someone who has never heard of Groundhog Day in any context, is baffled. Whether his reaction is due to the historical origin, the time loop plot, or the incongruity between the two meanings is left as an exercise for the reader.
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This is one of 63 incomplete explanations: This page was created by someone stuck in a time loop. Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page! |
This comic was posted on Groundhog Day, February 2nd. Cueball is shown explaining the holiday to Black Hat.
Groundhog Day originates from a superstition regarding the behaviour of a groundhog. Supposedly, if the groundhog does not see its shadow, the spring thaw is likely to happen shortly thereafter. If it does see its shadow, however, it is frightened and retreats into its burrow, and six more weeks of winter await.
Groundhog Day is also the title of a film starring Bill Murray. In the film, Murray's character is trapped in a time loop centered on Groundhog Day; no matter how his day ends - whether by falling asleep at the end of the day or dying somewhere during the event - he wakes up on the morning of Groundhog Day again, retaining his memories of the previous loop(s) while the rest of the world sees nothing amiss. The movie has become synonymous with the plot element of a time loop in English-speaking cultures.
Black Hat, apparently representing someone who has never heard of Groundhog Day in any context, is baffled. Whether his reaction is due to the historical origin, the time loop plot, or the incongruity between the two meanings is left as an exercise for the reader.
Transcript
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This is one of 42 incomplete transcripts: Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page! |
- Cueball: Historically, it refers to a ceremony to predict the weather using a rodent. But nowadays people often use it to mean "a time loop experienced by one person."
- Black Hat: ...what.
- [Caption below the panel:]
- Easily our weirdest holiday.
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I guess it's weirdest because it has two silly associations. But Talk Like a Pirate Day is arguably weirder than either of them. Barmar (talk) 16:50, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
Even Stargate SG-1 had a timeloop episode and dropped a Groundhog Day reference in.
- Malikai: Once I've correctly deciphered the symbols on the altar, I will be able to master the time device.
- Jack O'Neill: Why, so you can be king of Groundhog Day?
Damn I miss that show. 135.84.57.36 17:06, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
third 164.58.172.158 17:12, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
It’s curious to see Black Hat being the one who is nonplussed here. Usually he’s the one shocking everyone else with surreal statements and antics. Pie Guy (talk) 17:28, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
- Yeah I was wondering about that too. Why Black Hat instead of a more normal character like Megan? Contrary to his usual behavior, Black Hat isn't doing anything evil here. DKMell (talk) 19:34, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
- I was thinking it might be because of comic 2174, where it heavily implies Black Hat comes from a different planet. Maybe he still doesn't have all of our holidays and cultures figured out yet? Sounds like a bit of a stretch, but I think it's a fun interpretation, and I'm going with it. Willintendo (talk) 20:24, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
- Yes, that legit freaked me out. I like Willintendo's interpretation, though.104.32.72.95 21:02, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
Help, I'm stuck in a time loop. But at least it's going to be sunny for the forseeable future. 76.187.17.7 18:29, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
We should possibly mention Candlemas and the German traditions surrounding Badgers seeing shadows. 80.41.29.9 18:34, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
- Badger badger badger badger? Lord Pishky (talk) 20:05, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
- ¿How is it that the whole body resets except the brain?
Oftentimes, the loop resets after death. If death is from an head-injury, ¿how does the brain restore without loosing memories or function? 67.174.239.209 (talk) 19:44, 2 February 2026 (UTC) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
I'm sure i read this comic yesterday? 89.242.150.153 20:18, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
The specific individual ground squirrel in Pennsylvania most people agreed to standardize on is now 139 years old. Even Wikipedia confirms the official Phil has been the same forecasting beast since 1887. Personally I'm a little unsure, I wonder if perhaps there may have been some substitutions along the way, however I cannot find any references to that happening... maybe I'm just too untrusting? Martin (talk) 21:25, 2 February 2026 (UTC) Add comment
