February 2 Marmot Day

Marmot Day is an Alaskan holiday established to celebrate marmots and Alaskan 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 with a holiday honoring Alaska's marmots. From Juneau to Anchorage to Fairbanks, and all the cities in between, Marmot Day has become an Alaskan institution.

Marmot Day festivities take many different forms. Marmot Day is an official holiday in Alaska, and it typically involves a family dinner where marmot jokes and anecdotes are shared. The city of Owosso in Michigan hosts a Marmot Day festival which offers many family activities and a marmot video contest.