Today has been one long tease. It’s St Peter and St Paul’s Day and it’s said that on St Peter and St Paul’s Day rain is key. Trouble is, I’m not sure if it has rained. It looks as though it should have, dark grey, pendulous clouds all over the place. But then the odd bit of blue pops through. Plus, while I do love a good gaze out the window, I’ve had other things on my mind so have not been that constant in my skyward affections.
So here’s the deal with the rain:
Unless the apples are christened on St Peter’s Day the crop will not be good.
Or
If it rains on St Peter’s Day, the bakers will have to carry double flour and single water; if dry, they will carry single flour and double water.
Which I don’t really understand. And then there’s
Rain on Peter and Paul will rot the roots of the rye.
Which is pretty clear, but where does that leave the apples and the bakers? But then
If it rains on St Peter and St Paul there will be plenty of mushrooms.
Hurray! But where does that leave the rye? And the hens?
Make nests for the hens on St Peter’s Day
And many’s the egg that they will lay.
Which has nothing to do with rain, but then neither do the serpents which are said to guard all the roads today. I’ve not seen any of them either. It’s supposed to be lucky to kill one today, but I’d rather you didn’t.
So depending on what the clouds finally decide, we’re faced with either no mushrooms or no apples (I’m leaving the bakers and the rest to their own devices). An incomplete fried breakfast or an incomplete crumble. Now that’s just cruel. I’m off to look for snakes.
Roud, S. (2006) The English Year: A Month-By-Month Guide To The Nation’s Customs and Festivals, From May Day to Mischief Night, London, Penguin Books
Daniels, C.L. & Stevans, C.M (eds) (2003) Encyclopædia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World, Hawaii, University Press of the Pacific
I really enjoyed this. I love your style.
What a lovely thing to write, thank you! Feel free to suggest folklore I can try!