Tomorrow, 25th January is St Paul's day and Burn's Night and also celebrates a Welsh saint too - St Dwynwen's Day - Wales' patron saint of lovers. According to my book Everyday Folklore couples might peer into Dwynwen's Well and have a look for the fortune telling eels and if they can see them their relationship will last.
According to my Book of Saints January 25th actually commemorates The Conversion of St Paul. A man who hated and persecuted Christians. He was on his way to Damascus to seize the Christians there and bring them to Jerusalem for punishment when the famous conversion took place.
It's another Saint's Day with lots of weather lore attached. In the past they thought it could even affect political events.
If St. Paul's Day be fair and clear,
It doth betide a happy year;
But if by chance it then should rain,
It will make dear all kinds of grain;
And if the clouds make dark the sky,
Then neate* and fowls this year shall die;
If blustering winds do blow aloft,
Then wars shall trouble the realm full oft.
* Neate is an old word for cattle
Also
St Paul fair with sunshine
Brings fertility to rye and wine
It's party night up north of the border and in many other towns and cities here and overseas to celebrate the birthday of poet Robert Burns in 1759. Hope everyone enjoys their Haggis, neeps and wee drams of whisky.
If things are still the same and blogger is not letting me reply to comments today or tomorrow, I'm apologising in advance! Of course it might have righted itself - who knows.
Have a good weekend, I'll be back Monday.
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