Marmot Day is an Alaska

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

n holiday established to celebrate marmot

Marmot

The marmots are a genus, Marmota, of squirrels. There are 14 species in this genus.Marmots are generally large ground squirrels. Those most often referred to as marmots tend to live in mountainous areas such as the Alps, northern Apennines, Eurasian steppes, Carpathians, Tatras, and Pyrenees in...

s and Alaska's unique culture. Although local festivals have been part and parcel of frontier life since time immemorial, Marmot Day became an official holiday on April 18, 2009, when the 26th Alaska State Legislature

26th Alaska State Legislature

The 26th Alaska State Legislature was elected in November 2008.-Sessions:* First session: January 20, 2009–May 19, 2009* Special session: August 10, 2009* Second session: January 19, 2010–April 18, 2010...

 officially passed Senate Bill 58. Marmot Day is celebrated on February 2, replacing Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is a holiday celebrated on February 2 in the United States and Canada. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, it will leave the burrow, signifying that winter-like weather will soon end...

 with a holiday honoring Alaska's marmots. From Juneau

Juneau, Alaska

The City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...

 to Anchorage

Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...

 to Fairbanks

Fairbanks, Alaska

Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...

, and all the cities in between, Marmot Day has become an Alaskan institution.

Marmot Day's Distinguished History

Senate Bill 58, sponsored by Sen. Linda Menard

Linda Menard

Linda K. Menard is a Republican member of the Alaska Senate. She has represented the G District since 2009. She had previously served for over a decade on the Matanuska-Susitna Borough school board, including as president....

, R-Wasilla

Wasilla, Alaska

Wasilla is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, United States and the sixth-largest city in Alaska. It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the southcentral part of the state. The city's population was 7,831 at the 2010 census...

, 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, and worried that the 49th state would become a suburb of Houston both culturally and economically, Dr. Menard drew a line in the sand with his idea of creating Marmot Day in the 1990s. After getting stuck in a committee while politics was played, the controversial Marmot Day bill died in the legislature. Sen. Linda Menard reintroduced the bill for the 26th Alaska Legislature, and the bill passed by a Marmot's whisker on the second to last day of the legislative session, and Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin

Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...

 signed it into law. As Senator Menard said, "By recognizing the marmot, our state [built] a tradition and legacy to be built on for future generations."

Regarding Marmots

Marmots are very abundant in Alaska, especially in the Brooks Range

Brooks Range

The Brooks Range is a mountain range in far northern North America. It stretches from west to east across northern Alaska and into Canada's Yukon Territory, a total distance of about 1100 km . The mountains top out at over 2,700 m . The range is believed to be approximately 126 million years old...

 and Hatcher Pass

Hatcher Pass

Hatcher Pass is a mountain pass through the southwest part of the Talkeetna Mountains, Alaska. It is named after Robert Hatcher, a prospector and miner. The nearest incorporated communities are Palmer and Wasilla, approximately to the south, and Willow, approximately to the west...

 area, the latter of which lies in Sen. Menard's legislative district. Marmot Day can be celebrated in a variety of ways, and received lots of support from the Alaska Zoo

Alaska Zoo

The Alaska Zoo is a zoo in Anchorage, Alaska located on of the Anchorage Hillside. It is a popular attraction in Alaska, with nearly 200,000 visitors per year.The zoo is currently home to more than 100 birds and mammals representing some 50 species...

 and schools in the state.

Marmot Day in Owosso

Marmot Day is also a community celebration in Owosso, Michigan

Owosso, Michigan

Owosso is a city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,713 at the 2000 census. The city is located on the eastern side of Owosso Township, but is politically independent...

, 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.

History of Owosso's Marmot Day

Marmot Day was begun in 2002 in Owosso, Michigan, as a day of celebration for this animal which is usually considered as a pest. A luncheon is traditional as part of the celebration, and marmot jokes are also shared, among other festivities typical of any party or celebration. At 12:30 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. The 2009 celebration included a video contest with a $1000 prize.

Confusion with Groundhog Day

Because groundhogs are also marmots, Groundhog Day (which occurs on February 2) is also referred to as Marmot Day, in places both with and places without distinct marmot populations. The Owosso celebration is a distinct event.