St Swithins Day

Category: Folk

Folk

St Swithins Day around the world in 2024

About St Swithins Day

How long until St Swithins Day?
St Swithins Day .
Dates of St Swithins Day
2025 United KingdomJul 15 United Kingdom Tue, Jul 15Observances Holiday 2024 United KingdomJul 15 United Kingdom Mon, Jul 15Observances Holiday 2023 United KingdomJul 15 United Kingdom Sat, Jul 15Observances Holiday 2022 United KingdomJul 15 United Kingdom Fri, Jul 15Observances Holiday 2021 United KingdomJul 15 United Kingdom Thu, Jul 15Observances Holiday
Summary
What's more sensible as a weather forecast? The bones of a 1,200 year old saint or a groundhog?

According to tradition, whatever the weather is like on St Swithins Day - whether rainy or sunny - it will continue for the next 40 days and 40 nights.

St. Swithin’s Day is a weather prognostication day:

St Swithin's Day, if it does rain

Full forty days, it will remain

St Swithin's Day, if it be fair

For forty days, twill rain no more.

Little is known about Swithin, the Bishop of Winchester in the 800s. But what is known is that many years after his death, his relics were transferred to the Winchester Cathedral on July 15th 971, a day which featured heavy rains. Since then, the belief has been that if it rains on this day, it will continue to rain for 40 more days.

During his lifetime, he supposedly performed just one miracle. He made an old lady’s eggs whole again after workmen’s smashed them while building a church.

The name ‘Swithin’ is derived from the Old English word for ‘strong’, and the St Swithin is symbolised with raindrops and apples.