.St Swithin’s Day
Today is Swithin’s Day. Today determines what the weather will be for the next 40 days.
Who is St Swithin
St. Swithun (also known as Swithin) was an Anglo-Saxon Bishop of Winchester from 852 – 862. He died on 2nd July 862 AD.
Not much is known about St. Swithun’s life. He was well-known for giving gifts to others and building churches. And built a stone bridge over the River Itchen to allow the poor to cross the river and sell their wares in the town.
He has only one miracle attributed to him. An odd one of repairing broken eggs which were dropped by a woman crossing the bridge. He would hear the woman crying and repaired the eggs immediately.
St Swithin in Norway
St Swithun is also honoured in Norway. He is commemorated at Stavanger Cathedral. The Catholic Church in Stavanger is also named after him. In Norway St. Swithun’s Day is celebrated on the 2nd of July, the date of his death. St. Swithun requested that he was to be buried outside the church so parishioners could walk on his grave and the rain would fall on it. However, the Bishop of Winchester, and Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, declared that Swithun was to be the patron saint of the restored Winchester Cathedral. Swithun’s body was moved from the church grounds and was interred in the new Cathedral on 15th July 971. Legend has it that a huge storm followed. Raining for forty days after his body was moved, suggesting that St. Swithun was unhappy with being moved from outside the church.
The weather of St Swithin’s Day
St. Swithun is probably best known for a British weather proverb. It says that if it rains on St Swithun’s Day, it will rain for 40 days.
The St. Swithun’s Day Rhyme:
St. Swithun’s day if thou dost rain,
For forty days it will remain,
St. Swithun’s day if thou be fair,
For forty days ’twill rain nae mair.
According to the Met Office, there has never been 40 dry or 40 wet days following St. Swithun’s Day since records began in 1861. So it seems unlikely that it will happen any time soon!
Keep an eye on the weather.
Another fun Day of the Year: Bakewell Tart Day.
Photo by Sarah (Unsplash)
