When is Saint Swithen's Day? Have we had it yet?

Question

If it rains on St. Swithen's day its supposed to rain for 40 days and nights...must be close to that now.

Ah..thats how you spell it No wonder I couldn't find it in Wikipedia...thanks.

Answer 1

July 15th.

"St. Swithin's Day, if thou dost rain,
For forty days it will remain.
St. Swithin's Day, if thou be fair,
For forty days 'twill rain nae mair."

Answer 2

With St Swithin’s day this Sunday (15 July), the Met Office is keen to dispel the myth surrounding the old wives’ tale that if it rains on St Swithin’s Day, it will rain for the next 40 days.

According to the Met Office, this old wives’ tale is nothing other than a myth. This has been ‘tested’ on 55 occasions*, when it has been wet on St Swithin’s Day. However, 40 days of rain did not follow!

While this old wives’ tale may not help predict the weather, there is evidence that some other tales do have sound meteorological substance:

‘Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight; red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning’ has a valid scientific explanation to support it. The sky appears red due to dust particles or dry air. As English weather systems move mostly from west to east, a red sunrise indicates dry weather moving away to the east, so rain should be expected soon. Conversely, a red sunset hints of dry weather to come from the west.

‘If there is damp fog or mist accompanied by wind, expect rain’ is also sound, as when wind and dampening fog occur, the likely cause is the approach of a front or a moist airstream – the classic forerunners of rain.

‘When the wind is in the east, it is neither good for man or beast. When the rain is from the east, it is for four-and-twenty hours at least’ is also an accurate observation. This is as the coldest and most biting weather does arise in an east wind and observations indicate that the rain does usually last for at least the next 24 hours.

What the Met Office can predict is that much of the British Isles will have a rather cloudy day with brief bright or sunny intervals between showers. Some of the showers could be heavy.

St Swithin’s Day is the most famous of the saints’ days for weather lore. Swithin, an Anglo Saxon bishop of Winchester, originated the weather legend by wishing to be buried in a churchyard where rain from the church eaves might fall upon his grave. When he was removed to Winchester Cathedral on 15 July 971, it poured for 40 days … or so legend has it.

With all the rain the United Kingdom have had recently I think we have had 40 days in 2 days! Lets hope we have some real summer weather now!!

Answer 3

Saint Swithun's day(or Swithins) is 15 July.
After his death and burial he was moved from his grave to an indoor shrine in the Old Minster at Winchester in 971.
His body was later split between a number of smaller shrines. His head was certainly detached and, in the Middle Ages, taken to Canterbury Cathedral.
Peterborough Abbey also had an arm.
If they did that to me I'd mess with their weather too!

Answer 4

St. Swithin's day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
St. Swithin's day if thou be fair
For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.

From what I've read, it's July 15th - we've got a couple of days still to go!

Answer 5

Assuming that you mean St Swithin's day, it's 15 July. Thus it's yet to come this year.

Answer 6

It's on July 15th which ironically is the day we've been told that summer will happen. Just one smegging day. Sheesh.

Answer 7

July 15th

As if we didn't have enough rain already. lol

Answer 8

ST. SWITHINS DAY IS 15TH JULY. KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT IT DOESNT RAIN ON THAT DAY, THINK WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THAT, WITHOUT ANOTHER FORTY DAYS.

Answer 9

15th July

Answer 10

i think we're already in the middle of it.the ammount of rain we've had.we'll all be going to work by boat soon.