Months
- stories from ancient folklore
October through Christmas - weather lore
St Simon and St Jude - October 28ththis day again would generally be rainy ... | “ | I know it as well as I know 'twill rain | ” |
and a 1500's text can be quoted in support of the theory ... | “ | Now a continued Simeon and Jude's rain beat all your feathers as flat down as pancakes. | ” |
St Luke's Day - October 30thSt Luke's Day often brought with it sunny weather and has been often called ... | “ | St. Luke's little summer. | ” |
with regard to October in general it is said ... | “ | Many haws, Many snaws; Many sloes, Many cold toes. | ” |
... as well as ... | “ | If the oak bear much mast (acorns) it foreshows a long and hard winter. | ” |
NovemberIce and cold in November predict warm weather about Christmas. Hence the proverb ... | “ | If the ice bear a man before Christmas, it will not bear a mouse after. | ” |
... and in a very similiar way ... | “ | If there's ice in November that will bear a duck, There'll be nothing after but sludge and muck. | ” |
Halloween or All Saints' Eve - October 31stan adaptation of the ice prediction, is extended specifically to Haloween | “ | If ducks do slide at Hollantide, At Christmas they will swim; If ducks do swim at Hollantide, At Christmas they will slide. | ” |
Winter and Christmasin the latter part of the year as Winter sets in Rain can be very important, hence ... | “ | 'Tween Martinmas and Yule, Water's wine in every pool. | ” |
Thunder for obvious reasons generally has significance, around this time of year it is said ... | “ | Winter thunder, Rich man's food and poor man's hunger. | ” |
It is a popular notion that a mild winter is less healthy than a cold one. Hence the saying ... | “ | A green Christmas makes a fat churchyard. | ” |
... although conversly in the North of England, a very common saying was ... | “ | If the sun shine through the apple-tree on Christmas Day there will be an abundant crop in the following year. | ” |
as well as in a very similiar vein ... | “ | a green Christmas brings a heavy harvest. | ” |
A windy Christmas and a calm Candlemas were held as signs of a good year. And rain during the twelve days after Christmas was said to prognosticate a wet year.
|