❌

Reading view

Pizza chains bring back a Valentine's Day favorite

Pizza fans who are also hopeless romantics are in luck this Valentine's Day.

Several chains are selling heart-shaped pies this year.

Pizza Hut first sold the pies in 2017 β€” and will be bringing them back for Valentine's Day in 2025, the Texas-based restaurant chain's website said. Β 

PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA: IT'LL COST YOU $121 AT A PIZZERIA WHOSE OWNERS 'LOATHE' THE TOPPING

"Heart-shaped pizza is a medium 1-topping hand-tossed pizza that's, you guessed it, shaped like a heart," according to the Pizza Hut website.

The item, the website said, could be for almost any occasion, including "Valentine's, Galentine's or whatever-tine's."Β 

Buyers should know that the heart-shaped pizza does have an odd quirk beyond its shape: It's not sliced.Β 

"Pizza arrives uncut because we don't break hearts, we bake them," Pizza Hut stated.

The heart-shaped pizza will be available from Feb. 11 through Feb 17, the brand said.Β 

Pizza Hut is not the only pizza chain to add a romantic touch to its pies this February.

Papa Johns' heart-shaped pizza is baked with a thin crust and comes with one topping, the Kentucky-based chain said on its website.Β 

"Experience love at first bite this Valentine's Day," Papa Johns said.Β 

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle

The pizza, similar to the one sold by Pizza Hut, does not come sliced. Its price starts at $11.99.

The brand called it "the perfect choice" for Valentine's Day.Β 

The heart-shaped pizza at Papa Johns is available from Feb. 5 through Valentine's Day.Β 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

"To keep the shape of your heart-shaped pizza, cut from the top middle straight down to the point of the heart, then cut horizontally to make the slices as evenly-sized as possible," the website suggested.

California Pizza Kitchen is also selling heart-shaped pies as part of its "Sweetest Meal for Two" promotion.

The meal comes with one starter, two entrΓ©es (including four options of heart-shaped pies) and a dessert, according to the California Pizza Kitchen website.Β 

The promotion is valid from Feb. 10 through Feb. 15 while supplies last, the chain said.Β 

Groundhog Day: Punxsutawney Phil makes annual winter weather prediction

Pennsylvania's "official state meteorologist" Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Sunday morning, predicting six more weeks of winter.

Sunday's joyous occasion was the 138th prognostication in Punxsutawney, located in Jefferson County. The festivities kicked off at 6 a.m. in a cold 20 degrees, and Phil made his appearance to the eager crowd at 7:22 a.m. It included singing, dancing, live music and fireworks to amp up the crowd ahead of Phil's prediction.Β 

Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Pa., spoke early on during the annual festivities at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., rebuffing People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' (PETA) demands to replace the beloved animal with something vegan.

"There's some folks out there who said we should take this great tradition that stretches all the way back to the 1880s and get rid of Phil and replace him with a cake," Shapiro said in front of thousands of people. "If anybody comes for Phil, they're gonna have to go through me and all of you. Am I right?"

PENNSYLVANIA GOV REBUFFS PETA'S DEMANDS ON PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL: 'COME AND TAKE IT'

Shapiro added that last year he declared Phil the "official state meteorologist" and that the groundhog is "never wrong about the weather." He teased making Groundhog Day an official state holiday.

The governor has been on-hand for every Groundhog Day ceremony in Punxsutawney since taking office in 2023.

GROUNDHOG DAY'S HISTORY, MEANING AND HOW THE SUPERSTITIOUS TRADITION MADE ITS WAY TO THE US

PETA President Ingrid Newkirk told the New York Post that Phil is denied the traditional lifestyle of a groundhog "for a tired old gimmick."

While Groundhog Day is considered a national holiday and has even been popularized in the classic 1993 Bill Murray film of the same name, the day β€” and Phil himself β€” hold a special place in many Pennsylvanians' hearts.

The annual weather prediction ceremony is hosted by the Groundhog Club Inner Circle, a group of local dignitaries who care for Punxsutawney Phil and help arrange special festivities.Β 

Even though Punxsutawney Phil's weather prediction is the one people gather to see, the groundhog's prediction is made ahead of the big moment by the group on Gobbler's Knob, a location very close to Punxsutawney, just around 65 miles away from Pittsburgh.

In addition to the large ceremony in western PA, throughout the rest of the Commonwealth, many historically Pennsylvania German communities are home to a "Grundsau Lodsch" or Groundhog Lodge.Β 

Fox News' Carles Creitz and Ashlyn Messier contributed to this report.

Pennsylvania gov rebuffs PETA's demands on Punxsutawney Phil: 'Come and take it'

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro hit back at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on Friday, after the activist group sent a letter to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club promising to send them a vegan "weather reveal cake" if they agreed to stop pulling Punxsutawney Phil out of his burrow for his Feb. 2 prognostication.

"Come and take it," Shapiro tweeted in response to a New York Post story on PETA's demand.

Manuel Bonder, a spokesman for Shapiro, told Fox News Digital the governor stands by his comments and said he will again make the trip to Gobbler's Knob in Jefferson County on Sunday to witness Phil's 138th meteorological prediction.

Shapiro has been on-hand for every Groundhog Day ceremony in Punxsutawney since taking office in 2023.

PETA CALLS TO END GROUNDHOG DAY TRADITION, REPLACE PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL WITH CAKE

PETA President Ingrid Newkirk told the Post that Phil is denied the traditional lifestyle of a groundhog "for a tired old gimmick."

Visitors to Punxsutawney year-round can visit Phil and his "wife," Phyllis, at the borough library. On this reporter's last visit to the area, the rodents had recently become proud parents to a new baby groundhog, as well.

While Groundhog Day is considered a national holiday and has even been popularized in the classic 1993 Bill Murray film of the same name, the day β€” and Phil himself β€” hold a special place in many Pennsylvanians' hearts.

In addition to the large ceremony in western PA, throughout the rest of the Commonwealth, many historically Pennsylvania German communities are home to a "Grundsau Lodsch" or Groundhog Lodge.Β 

GROUNDHOG DAY QUIZ! HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE FACTS ABOUT THIS UNIQUE DAY?

Each lodge holds an annual banquet or "Versommling" in honor of their totem – Phil – with "Lodsch Nummer Ains an de Lechau" (Lodge #1 on the Lehigh River) in Allentown hosting theirs annually on the February 2 holiday itself since 1934.

Nineteen other lodges based around the state have held "Versommlinge" for decades, as well.Β 

However, three β€” "#2, Schibbach" in Montgomery County, "#3, Temple U." in Philadelphia County and "#5, Bind Bush" in Schuylkill County β€” have gone defunct in recent years as the Pennsylvania German language and culture see a decline in younger generations.

A March 2024 Versommling for "Lodge #18 an de Forelle Grick" (on Trout Creek) in Slatington featured local beer on tap, a traditional Pennsylvania German supper, stories and riddles from lodge elders told in the Pennsylvania German language, and, of course, representations of Phil himself.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Until recently, it was the custom of groundhog lodges to forbid English-speaking in favor of "Pennsilfaanisch," lest the violator toss a nickel in a donation jar on their table.

Other states' groundhogs have been less lucky than Phil, as then-New York Mayor Bill de Blasio infamously dropped Staten Island Chuck during a 2014 ceremony in West New Brighton. Chuck later died from internal injuries after appearing to land on his head.

With the importance Groundhog Day and Phil himself hold to Pennsylvania past-and-present, Bonder said Shapiro will continue to defend the groundhog and his tradition, and will be on hand for future wintertime prognostications in Punxsutawney.

3 New Year's Eve food traditions said to bring 'luck' and 'love' in the days ahead

New Year's Eve is associated with celebrations of all kinds, including fancy dinners featuring champagne and caviar.Β 

Yet many New Year's Eve traditions are actually centered on simple, tasty foods that are said to bring luck for the New Year ahead β€” and are more accessible to most of us.Β 

Here are three New Year's Eve food traditions from around the world that people swear will bring them luck.Β 

TOP FIVE MOST SEARCHED-FOR RECIPES IN 2024

Will any of these make your party menu this year?Β 

In the Southern part of the United States, black-eyed peas are a staple of New Year's Eve cuisine for many Americans.Β 

Black-eyed peas are said to "bring in the New Year with hope, prosperity and good fortune," Bobby Ford, owner of Bobby Q's Jus Like Mama's, told Fox News Digital.Β 

Bobby Q's Jus Like Mama's is a soul food restaurant on Long Island.

"These peas are also seen as a symbol of spiritual abundance β€” and with their nutritional value, as a way to promote health and well-being for the year ahead," he said.Β 

Black-eyed peas, native to West Africa, were brought to the United States by enslaved Africans, said Ford.Β 

Legend has it that women hid the peas in their hair.Β 

3 ADVENT FOOD TRADITIONS, EACH WITH 'ITS OWN STORY,' FROM AROUND THE WORLD

"This act ensured they could grow familiar food in a new land, preserving a piece of their culture and sustenance," he said.Β 

The tradition of eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Eve began during the Civil War, said Ford.Β 

FAMILY DINNERS ARE 'BLUE BLOODS' TRADITION THAT CHEF PAUL WAHLBERG EMBRACES

"Over time, it became a New Year's custom, symbolizing hope and the promise of future prosperity," he said.Β 

The tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve began in Spain in the 19th century. It spread throughout other Spanish-speaking countries, says the website Food Republic.Β 

In recent years, videos about the custom have gone viral on TikTok, with a video that was shared in 2023 by Kroger, the grocery store chain, receiving over 6 million views.Β 

"Did you know eating 12 grapes on the New Year brings you good luck?" asked Kroger's TikTok.Β 

The TikTok video went on to note that "as the clock strikes midnight, you eat them one at a time with each chime. If you can finish them before the chime ends, you will have good luck throughout the year."Β 

Some cultures attach different meanings to consuming the grapes, noted Food Republic.

In Peru, a person who eats 12 grapes under a table is said to be lucky in love for the coming year, said the same website.Β 

In a TikTok published on Dec. 22, 2022, user @helengmorales posted a video of herself eating grapes under a table at midnight, followed by pictures of her with her fiancΓ©.Β 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

"My family made fun of me for believing, but look who has the ring now," she wrote.Β 

Throughout Asia, it is common to eat noodles on birthdays and other holidays as a way to signify hope for a long life.Β 

In Japan, this comes in the form of the dish Toshikoshi soba, which is eaten on New Year's Eve.Β 

The name translates to "year-crossing noodle," said Just One Cookbook, a Japanese website.

As in "many cultures, New Year in Japan is about beginning with a fresh, clean slate," said Namiko Chen, the website's author.Β 

"That’s the essence of toshikoshi soba β€” a hot buckwheat noodle soup that is healthy and easy to make, and full of symbolism."

Toshikoshi soba "is usually served in its simplest form β€” buckwheat soba noodles in a hot dashi broth garnished with only finely chopped scallions," she said. Many people, however, choose to add additional ingredients for taste.

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle

Japanese people have been eating soba noodles on New Year's Eve for nearly seven centuries, said Chen, while the tradition really took hold around the 17th century.Β 

The noodles are made out of buckwheat, considered a symbol of strength, resilience and fortune.Β 

"With the hope of good fortune in each bowl, it’s easy to imagine the custom being adopted quickly from family to family, slurping in the symbolism of soba noodles," she said.Β 

American Culture Quiz: Test yourself on New Year’s novelties, highway history and musical milestones

The American Culture Quiz is a weekly test of our unique national traits, trends, history and people, including current events and the sights and sounds of the United States.

This week's quiz highlights New Year’s novelties, highway history, musical milestones and more. Can you get all eight questions right?

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle

To try your hand at more quizzes from Fox News Digital, click here.Β 

Also, to take our latest News Quiz β€” published every Friday β€” click here.

❌