Historic Verses Concerning the Saints

Verses on saints' days at various seasons of the year. 29(Lean's Collectanea, vol. i, Bristol, 1902, pp. 373-384.)

January 25. Saint Paul's Day:

If the clouds make dark the sky,

Great store of people then will die;

If there be either snow or rain,

Then will be dear all kinds of grain.

(Robin Forby, "Vocabulary of East Anglia," London, 1830.)

Somewhat different in a Latin form:

Clara dies Pauli multas segetes nitant amni,

Si fuerint nebulae, aut venti, erunt proelia genti.

February 2. Candlemas Day:

If Candlemas day be fair and bright,

Winter will have another flight;

If on Candlemas day it be shower and rain,

Winter is gone and will not come again.

(John Ray, "A Collection of English Proverbs," 2d ed., Cambridge, 1678.)

February 12. St. Eulalia's Day:

If the sun shines on St. Eulalie's day,

It is good for apples and cider they say.

February 14. St. Valentine's Day:

On St. Valentine's day

Cast beans in clay

But on St. Chad

Sow good or bad.

(Seed time of this Lenten crop limited between February 14 and March 2.)

February 24. St. Matthias' Day:

Saint Matthew (Sept. 21)

Get candlesticks new;

St. Mattheg

Lay candlesticks by

March 1. St. David's Day:

Quoth Saint David, "I'll have a flood."

Saith our Lady [Mch. 25] "I'll have as good."

(Referring to spring tides in Wales, from Poor Robin's Almanack, 1684.)

June 15. St. Vitus' Day:

If Saint Vitus' day be rainy weather,

It will rain for thirty days together.

(M. A. Denham, "Proverbs and Popular Sayings Relating to the Seasons," Percy Soc., 1846.)

July 15. St. Swithin's Day:

St. Swithin's day, if thou dost rain,

For forty days it will remain;

St. Swithin's day, if thou be fair,

For forty days t'will rain nae mair.

(M. A. Denham, "Proverbs and Popular Sayings Relating to the Seasons," Percy Soc., 1846.)

July 15: All the tears that St. Swithin can cry

Aug. 24: Saint Bartholomew's dusty mantle wipes dry.

(R. Inwards, "Weather Lore," London, 1893.)

July 20. St. Margaret's Day:

"Margaret's floods" (heavy rains).

July 25. St. James' Day:

"Whoever eats oysters on St. James' day will never want money."

(M. A. Denham, "Proverbs and Popular Sayings Relating to the Seasons," Percy Soc., 1846.)

August 24. St. Bartholomew's Day:

St. Bartholomew

Brings cold dew.

(John Ray, "A Collection of English Proverbs," 2d ed., Cambridge, 1678.)

October 28. St. Simon and St. Jude:

Simon and Jude

All the ships on the sea home they do crowd.

Dost thou know her then?

Trap. As well as I know 'twill rain upon

Simon and Jude's day next.

(Middleton, "The Roaring Girl," Act 5, Sc. 1.)

Now a continual Simon and Jude's rain beat all your feathers as flat down as pancakes!

(Idem, Act II, Sc. 1.)

November 11. St. Martin's Day:

Expect St. Martin's summer, halcyon days.

(Shakespeare, "I Henry VI," Act 1, Sc. 2.)

December 13. St. Lucy's Day:

Lucy [bright] light

The shortest day and the longest night

(For a long time, before the change of the calendar, St. Lucy's Day corresponded to our 21st of December.)

December 21. St. Thomas' Day:

St. Thomas gray, St. Thomas gray

The longest night and the shortest day.

December 27. St. John the Evangelist's Day:

Never rued the man

That lead in his fuel before St. John.

(Robin Forby, "Vocabulary of East Anglia," London, 1830.)

The Magic of Jewels and Charms

Additional verses on Candlemas Day (Purification of the Blessed Virgin):

If the sun shines bright on Candlemas Day,

The half of the winter's not yet away.

In Latin:

Si sol splendescat Maria purificante,