St Swithun's day - pray for fair weather!!

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 na mair

You better hope it doesn't rain today, because today is St Swithun's day. Apparently, the superstition goes along the lines that if it rains on 15th July, it will rain for 40 days and 40 nights. If the 15th is fair, good weather will proceed for the same. I don't know about the rest of the country but today is balmy and humid, overcast and dry. I can deal with that for 40 days. Bright sunshine and cloudless skies would have been preferable but considering the recent downturn in the weather, I'll take what I can get!

Apparently St Swithun was the bishop of Winchester and died in 862 AD. He was buried outdoors so that the "sweet rain of heaven" could fall on his grave. In 941 AD  it was decided to relocate his burial site indoors, and was apparently delayed due to 40 days of torrential rain.

I think if it rained for 40 days I'd have to emigrate. End of. Damn English weather... I have a lovely tan from Ibiza and have managed to show it off all of two occasions. Rubbish.