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St. Swithun's Day (00:00 - July 15th, 2011)

Sometimes known as St Swithin's Day and strongly associated with weather-watching, today is the feast day of St. Swithun. St. Swithun was a Bishop of Winchester and was famous for his philanthropy.

Legend says that when St. Swithun was on his deathbed, he asked to be buried out of doors instead of in a shrine in Winchester Cathedral where he would have been expected to be buried. His wishes were followed, but on 15th July 971 it is said that some monks attempted to remove his remains so that they could bury him under a fabulous shrine inside the cathedral. According to legend there was a heavy rain storm during the ceremony. From this the old wives' tale sprung up that it would rain for forty days and forty nights if it rained on St. Swithun's Day.

I'm sure most of you will remember learning the rhyme for today (which has been in existence since Elizabethan times):

"St Swithun's Day, if it does rain
Full forty days it will remain
St Swithin's Day, if it be fair

For forty days, it will rain no more."

St. Swithun is also connected with apple growing. An old saying tells us that if it does rain on St. Swithun's Day, the rain is St. Swithun christening apples. Some apple growers still ask for a blessing from St. Swithun every year.