St. Swithin’s Day is 15th July, a day on which people watch the weather for tradition says that what ever the weather is like on St. Swithin’s Day, it will continue so for the next forty days.

St. Swithin (or more properly, Swithun) was a Saxon Bishop of Winchester and legend says that as he lay on his deathbed, he asked to be buried out of doors, where he would be trodden on and rained on. For nine years, his wishes were followed, but then, the monks of Winchester attempted to remove his remains to a splendid shrine inside the cathedral on 15 July 971. According to legend there was a heavy rain storm either during the ceremony or on its anniversary.

This led to the old wives’ tale (folklore) that if it rains on St Swithin’s Day (July 15th), it will rain for the next 40 days in succession, and a fine 15th July will be followed by 40 days of fine weather.

As I look out of the window now it is pouring with rain so much so that we have even lost the satellite TV signal.

Are we in for 40 days of rain?

Posted in Uncategorized