About St Swithins Day
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.
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