MAHANOY CITY, Pa. — Outside the Mahanoy City Senior Center on West Centre Street, folks are lined up in homemade hats, making noise to celebrate Hoodie Hoo Day.
“I had no clue, I've never heard of it before, and I had to Google it to make sure it was a real thing, and it is,” said Donna Brahaney, Mahanoy City Senior Center Manager.
“You decorate a hat, and everybody goes outside and yells Hoodie Hoo to chase the winter blues away and bring spring,” Cookie Machalik, from Shenandoah Heights, said.
Machalik has been celebrating Hoodie Hoo Day for years; she says it's Schuylkill county's version of Groundhog Day.
Machalik and the other senior citizens taught the Mahanoy City Senior Center Manager, Donna Brahney, how to scare winter away for her first Hoodie Hoo Day.
“So many were here early, by like 9 o'clock, with their hats on, and just chatting, and that's what we want. That's why we are here, to have that kind of activity here,” added Brahaney.
And as far as if Hoodie Hoo Day actually works ...
“I think it worked already; I think we never had winter,” Brahaney mentioned.
“We've been so lucky, you know. I hope our winters are like how it is now; you know we've been blessed,” Machalik explained.
The members at the Mahanoy City Senior Center agree; the best part of celebrating Hoodie Hoo Day is just being together.
“Just to have my mom here, you know, whenever she wants to come, is a wonderful thing, and having my birthday fall on Hoodie Hoo day, it really doesn't get any better than that,” added Brahaney.
And whether Hoodie Hoo Day works or not, spring will be here before we know it.
Watch this video on YouTube about Hoodie Hoo Day: