Next: 15 Jul 2027
St Swithin's Day
A weather omen: in English lore, rain on 15 July means rain for forty days after, and fair weather means forty days of dry.
About St Swithin's Day
An English rhyme says that if it rains on St Swithin's Day, it will rain for forty days, and if it is fair it will stay fair. The saint was a ninth-century bishop of Winchester, and his body was supposedly moved against his wish on this date, with rain then falling for forty days, though this tale is from later sources. Weather records from London and other places have not backed up the rule. Weather proverbs of this kind exist across Europe, tied to saints' days such as Medardus in France and the Seven Sleepers elsewhere. The custom lives on as a saying more than a belief.
Also part of it, and being written: Swithun (The saint.), Candlemas (Another saint's day weather forecast.).
Written by the EveryJaadu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Swithun" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family, and are described as belief and practice. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.