July 15 is St. Swithin’s Day, a church holiday honoring St. Swithin (also spelled Swithun), a medieval Ango-Saxon bishop, and the patron saint of Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire, England.
We’ve written about St. Swithin before, particularly about the bit of old folklore that states that, if it rains on St. Swithin’s Day, the rain will continue for 40 days.
While the thought of 40 days rain isn’t likely very appealing to most – especially those along the banks of the Mississippi who are still cleaning up from severe flooding this past spring – chances are it doesn’t sound too bad to those of you in southern states who are experiencing the worst drought conditions in a generation.
In addition to his role in this old lore, St. Swithin is also one of the saints traditionally prayed to during periods of drought. For those of you sweating it out under the hot, dry skies of Texas and the Southwest, here’s hoping, in the name of St. Swithin, that you get your rain soon!
Jaime McLeod is the Web Content Editor for the Farmers' Almanac. She is a longtime journalist who has written for a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including MTV.com. She enjoys the outdoors, loves eating organic food, and is interested in all aspects of natural wellness.
If you notice a hole in the upper left-hand corner of your Farmers' Almanac, don't return it to the store! That hole isn't a defect; it's a part of history. Starting with the first edition of the Farmers' Almanac in 1818, readers used to nail holes into the corners to hang it up in their homes, barns, and outhouses (to provide both reading material and toilet paper). In 1910, the Almanac's publishers began pre-drilling holes in the corners to make it even easier for readers to keep all of that invaluable information (and paper) handy.
2 comments
Oh please our Heavenly Father God, let it rain today, so it shall renew & refresh all our land!!!!!
The Thunder Moon came in shortly after 2:30 A.M., accompanied by long, low drumrolls of distant thunder. Today, the famous I-4 Corridor/ Thunder Road storms set in, and we should, indeed, have them every day until September… not because of blessed St. Swithin, but because of the Florida rainy season.
Leave a Comment