Folktales, Legends, and Stories

Weather Lore

Weather Lore is a brief forecast of the weather and other events usually consisting of one sentence. Forecasts are related to seasons or to the current status of nature.

In the past, forecasts belonged among the basic knowledge of farmers. They needed the forecasts in their everyday work of providing food. Some have a meaning that can be confirmed from a scientific point of view and are also valuable because of their historical and aesthetic value.

Weather Lore can be found in many cultures. Below are some from Slovakia

January    February    March    April    May    June    July    August    September    October    November    December

In January

On New Year’s Day the day is a hen’s step longer, on Three Kings it is another step longer and on Candlemas we have one hour more.

Lots of snow in January, lack of water in April and May will be.

If January is warm, poverty is abject.

On St. Fabian’s and St. Sebastian’s Day the sap in trees rises. 20^th of January

As the Apostle Paul was converted, so winter is changed. 25^th of January

In February

On Candlemas you still need to have half of the animal fodder. 2^nd of February

St. Blaise’s Day begs for nice weather so that sore throats would be taken away by the winter. 3^rd of February

After St. Dorothy’s Day the clothes will dry on fences. 5^th of February

SS Cyril's & Methodius's day of celebration. 14^th of February

If St. Matthew’s Day finds ice, he breaks it. If he does not find it he makes it. 24^th of February

If February is mild, the spring is miserable.

If in February cats bask in the sun, they will bask on the stove in March.

If frogs croak in February, the harvest will be poor.

In March

On St. Gregory’s Day the ice flows to the sea. 12^th of March

Nice weather on St. Joseph’s Day is news of a plentiful year. 19^th March

A master’s love, women’s tastes and March weather do not last.

As is the weather on Ash Wednesday, so the weather will be all year round.

During Carnival over-indulgence: during Lent fasting!

A dry Lent brings a fertile year.

Wear your fur coat to seed spring crops; wear your shirt to seed winter crops.

In April

On St. George’s Day the earth opens. 24^th of April

After a warm St. Mark’s day it often gets cold. 25^th of April

Dust in March and mud in April, gold grows on the farmer’s fields.

When Holy Thursday is white, the summer will be warm.

St. George sends all from houses to fields.

If there are thunderstorms in April, frost does not return.

In April it rains on rye, in May on wheat, and in June on barley.

In May

If it rains on the 1^st of May the weather will be nice all year.

On St. James’ and St. Philip’s Day all linden trees are green. 3^rd of May

St. Florien, protect our crops. 4^th of May

If it is nice on St. Urban’s Day there will be an abundance of good wine. 25^th of May

When a tree full of leaves blossoms, its fruit is certain.

If the earth does not drink a single time in May, a farmer will sing a very sad song.

Bees that swarm in May are worth a full car.

In June

On St. John’s Day the gate of summer opens. 24^th of June

St. Peter and St. Paul seed mushrooms. 29^th of June

When a cuckoo sounds on St. John’s Day it brings nice weather.

A cold May and wet June fill barns with grain and sheds with hay.

No need to beg God for rain in June, it comes as soon as we begin cutting crops.

When the sun shines on St. Peter's and St. Paul’s day the harvest will be good.

A day in summer is like a week in winter.

In July

On St. Cyril's and St. Methodius's Day the fairest weather begins. 5^th of July.

On St. Elias’s Day there is summer in the morning and fall in the afternoon. 20^th of July

St. Anna starts the Indian summer. 26^th July

After St. Ignatius’s Day the summer turns its back to us. 31^st of July

As the day gets shorter, it grows warmer.

A quail announces summer to harvesters, people rejoice for new bread, the father scythes the barley, and the son collects the sheaves.

In August

If it rains on Roman’s Day, potatoes will rot. 9^th of August.

When St. Lawrence’s Day is nice and warm, the fall will be friendly to farmers. 10^th of August.

Flax seeded on St. Helen’s Day has long hair. 18^th of August

As warm as it is on St. Augustine’s Day, it will be as cold on St. Catherine’s Day. 28^th of August.

August begins what July finished.

Northern winds in August bring stable weather.

August rain dries off before lunch ends.

In September - harvest the crops!

If Rose burns flowers, Lucy will paint flowers on the windows. 4^th of September

On the Virgin Mary’s Birthday swallows will leave.  8^th of September

After Holy Cross Day, fall is coming. 14^th of September

On Wenceslaus Day all crab trees ripen.  28^th of September

If acorns fall before Michael’s Day, a severe winter will come. 29th of September

When wild geese leave, Indian summer is over.

In October

If vixens howl in the fall a severe winter will come.

If there is lightning in October winter is near.

If a farmer needs his warm coat in October, he won’t see a caterpillar in the spring.

A green October brings a cold January.

If there are many hornets and wasps in October the winter will be long.

Warm October, cold November.

In the fall girls get lovely and mountains get ugly; in the spring the mountains get lovely and the girls get ugly.

In November

As it is on St. Andrew’s Day, 30^th of November, so it will be on All Saint’s Day,  1^st of November.

If the first snow falls on St. Martin’s Day it harms the winter wheat. 11^th of November.

If on St. Martin’s Day geese walk on ice, at Christmas they will walk on mud.

St. Elizabeth brings a basket full of Holy Days. 19^th of November.

St. Catherine (Katarína)  - Nov. 25

St. Andrew (Ondrej) - Nov. 30 

St. Barbara (Barbora) - Dec. 4

St. Nicholas (Mikuláš) - Dec. 6

St Lucy (Lucia) - Dec. 13

St. Thomas (Tomáš) - Dec 21

It is not good when it is warm on St. Catherine's Day, 25^th of November, as then snow covers fields on St. Joseph’s Day, 19^th of March.

If trees blossom in November, winter will last until May.

If November’s snow lies for several days and then melts, it fertilizes better than manure.

In December

On St. Nicholas’s Day pigs are slaughtered. 6^th of December

On St. Thomas’s Day the winter takes its full power. 21^st of December

When Christmas Eve is clear, everyone is pleased and our Lord will give us an abundance of wine and corn.

White Christmas, green Easter.

If December is rainy, mild and unsettled, the winter will not be harsh.

If December is cold and the earth is covered with snow, next year’s rye will be in abundance.

This topic and many others may be found in our book: Slovak Folk Customs and Traditions.