Marmot Day is an

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

holiday established to celebrate

marmot Marmots are large ground squirrels in the genus ''Marmota'', with 15 species living in Asia, Europe, and North America. These herbivores are active during the summer, when they can often be found in groups, but are not seen during the winter, w ...

s and Alaska culture. Although local festivals have been part and parcel of frontier life for decades, Marmot Day became an official holiday on April 18, 2009, when the 26th Alaska State Legislature officially passed Senate Bill 58. Marmot Day is celebrated on February 2, replacing

Groundhog Day Groundhog Day (, , , ; Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a tradition observed regionally in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if ...

with a holiday honoring Alaska's marmots. From

Juneau Juneau ( ; ), officially the City and Borough of Juneau, is the capital of the U.S. state of Alaska, located along the Gastineau Channel and the Alaskan panhandle. Juneau was named the capital of Alaska in 1906, when the government of wha ...

Anchorage Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolita ...

to Fairbanks, and all the cities in between, Marmot Day has become an Alaska institution.

Alaskan Senate Bill

Senate Bill 58, sponsored by Sen.

Linda Menard Linda K. Menard (born December 21, 1943) is a former Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the Alaska Senate. She represented the G District from 2009 through 2012. She had previously served for over a decade on the Matanuska- ...

, R-

Wasilla Wasilla ( Dena'ina: ''Benteh'') is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States, and the fourth-largest city in Alaska. It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the southcentral part ...

, was first introduced by the late Dr. Curtis Menard, Linda Menard's husband and former state legislator. Concerned by the gradual decline of Alaska's folk values, Dr. Menard proposed his idea of creating Marmot Day in the 1990s. After getting stuck in a committee, the controversial Marmot Day bill died in the legislature. Sen. Linda Menard reintroduced the bill for the 26th Alaska Legislature, and the bill passed on the second to last day of the legislative session, and

Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, and author who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 Republican vice presidential nomi ...

signed it into law. AKSenate.org. Retrieved 2012-07-09. As Senator Menard said, "By recognizing the marmot, our state uilta tradition and legacy to be built on for future generations." It has become tradition to eat French Onion Soup on Marmot Day in some parts of Alaska.

Distinguished from Marmot Day in Owosso, Michigan

Marmot Day is also the name of a community celebration in

Owosso, Michigan Owosso () is the largest city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 14,714 at the 2020 census. It is located west of Flint, and northeast of Lansing. The city is mostly surrounded by Owosso Township on its we ...

, occurring on July 25 (or on the following Monday if the 25th falls on a weekend). It is a celebration of all marmots, which include groundhogs, woodchucks, and ground squirrels. Marmot Day was first celebrated in 2002 as a day celebrating all marmots. A luncheon is traditional as part of the celebration, marmot jokes and ginger snaps are shared, among other festivities typical of party celebrations. In recent years the celebration has been held at the

Covenant Eyes Accountability software, or shameware, is a type of surveillance software that records the user's Internet activity and reports it to another person, often called an accountability partner. This person is often, but not necessarily, an authority ...

global headquarters in Shiawassee County. At 12:45 p.m., a marmot is positioned outside its hole, and if it goes into its hole, legend has it that summer is over; if it does not go into its hole, there will be one more month of summer."Marmot Mania"
Argus-Press.com. Retrieved 2012-07-10.

References

{{reflist, 2 2002 establishments in Michigan 2009 establishments in Alaska Annual events in Alaska February observances July Festivals in Michigan Groundhog Day Recurring events established in 2002 Recurring events established in 2009 State holidays in the United States