Can Bunnies Predict the Weather?
According to folklore, many animals can predict the weather. Is Peter Cottontail among them? Find out!
Quick, think of an animal that can predict the weather! If you thought of a groundhog, chances are you’re not alone. Here in North America, Groundhog Day is a big deal. But there are plenty of other animal forecasters out there, too. Crickets, birds, fish, cows, deer, squirrels, caterpillars, and even dogs and cats have all been at the center of various weather lore sayings. But what about rabbits? When Easter rolls around, bunnies abound. And we know Easter means spring. In fact, the whole reason we associate Easter with bunnies is because, to the ancient Germanic people who once inhabited Europe, rabbits were symbolic of spring and new life.
Rabbit Weather Lore
Here are a few rabbit weather lore sayings:
- When hares seek shelter in lowlands, snow is on the way.
- Rabbits go to the woods before a severe storm.
- Note the day of the month when the first snow of the year that’s deep enough to track a rabbit arrives. This will tell you how many deep snows will fall that season.
- When rabbits are fat in October, winter will be long and cold.
Easter Weather Lore
And, for good measure, here are a few bits of Easter weather lore:
- A green Christmas means a white Easter (also written as “Christmas in mud; Easter in snow.”)
- If it rains on Easter, it will rain for the next seven Sundays.
Be sure to check our long-range forecast to see if you’ll be getting seven Sundays of rain!
Jaime McLeod
Jaime McLeod is a longtime journalist who has written for a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including MTV.com. She enjoys the outdoors, growing and eating organic food, and is interested in all aspects of natural wellness.
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Jaime McLeod#molongui-disabled-link
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Jaime McLeod#molongui-disabled-link
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Jaime McLeod#molongui-disabled-link
Two rabbits this morning playing in garden @ squirrel
I enjoyed how the bunnes forcast weather and anything like that.
Hi Betty, we’re glad you enjoyed it. You might like this story, as well: Animal Weather Forecasters
Try a big tall scare crow. I used mens jeans and a red turtle neck shirt with strings from an old string mop and glued them to the top of the scare crow head,the spray painted a big summer hat pink, then on the face of the scare crow paint the eyebrows dark black and anything you can use for a nose, always use the glitter on the lips eyebrows around the hat and any place else you can use it because this will glitter and shine when the moon is out at night. I also paint two pie pants with some glitter around front and back tied them at the end of the sleeve or the 2×4 you use for the arms. Pie pans will save every time the wind blows, make sure you sew a large head shape before you do all the painting and make the scare crow where it ill be 6 feet high after you put it in the ground, One leg of the pants on the 2×4 that goes in the ground and the other will flop in the wind. Do not use Cotton to stuff the head after you paint it use a lot of the new quiting filling u use for stuffing pillows or what you use between the quit layers. and get ready to staple it to the top of the 2×4. Secure every thing you put on the scare crow so it
i am a firm biever in marigolds,between the veggie rows,and around the perimeter.
also,if you want a wire fence around the garden,you only need it to be about a foot off the ground,since deer dont like to lift their feet.
WE live on a ridge and have deer all year. I haven’t been able to have a garden due to them eating it and flowering plants. Any ideas other than hair or human urine around the yard?
Thanx!
Hi Cathie, Take a look at some of these deer repellent tips: Keep These Pests Out of Your Garden Naturally
Looks like I am answering a little late but I know this works. Deodorant bar soap doesn’t have to be a top brand. Do not unwrap the bars, but drill a hole (1/4″ drill bit) or whatever will allow you to pass a string through the paper and bar. Hang these at about 20′ intervals around the entire garden on stakes fence posts where ever you can hang them low tree-limbs. Deer will not come anywhere near the smell of that soap, combine that with a few aluminum pie-pans you shouldn’t have much wildlife in your garden or in an orchard hang a bar on every tree.
I’ll add one to your “If it rains on Easter, it will rain for the next seven Sundays.” My grandmother always said “If it rains on Easter Monday, it will rain the next seven Mondays.”
I have used human hair from hair salons to keep deer, rabbits and other scavengers out of my garden.
Planting lemon grass in your garden will keep the rabbits out
My grandmother always said that if winter wheat would hide a rabbit at easter it would make….not weather related….but bunny and easter
Is their any thing out there that will keep rabbits out of your garden other than chicken wire .We have a large garden and to put chicken wire around it would be quite expensive.We live in town and cant shoot a gun. So Help We need a natural remedy.
Joyce, There are several nontoxic natural rabbit repellant solutions and sprays you can put around your garden. I personally have no experience with rabbits, but I know ammonia-soaked rags keep groundhogs away. They think it’s a predator’s urine. It’s worth a try for rabbits.
Try planting marigolds around the perimeter. They keep mosquitoes away, too!
I learn something new everyday. I can tell the weather by the way my cat acts!
thanks for such a cute story.