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How Many Days Until St Swithin's Day?
Thursday, July 15, 2027
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About St Swithin's Day
St Swithin's Day, celebrated on July 15, is one of Britain's most beloved pieces of weather folklore. According to tradition, whatever the weather does on this day, it will continue for the following forty: rain on St Swithin's Day supposedly means forty days of showers, while sunshine promises forty dry ones. The rhyme has been recited for centuries, and gardeners, festival planners, and picnic hopefuls still glance skyward every July 15.
Behind the folklore stands a real historical figure. Swithun was a ninth-century Bishop of Winchester, known in his lifetime for humility and charitable works rather than weather control. Legend says he asked to be buried humbly outside the cathedral, where rain from the eaves could fall on his grave, and that monks who later tried to move his remains indoors triggered a storm of legendary persistence.
The forecast rule has no scientific basis, though meteorologists note that mid-July weather patterns in Britain can be somewhat persistent. That has never dimmed the day's charm. St Swithin's Day endures as a moment when the British happily discuss the one topic they are world-famous for: the weather.
History of St Swithin's Day
Swithun served as Bishop of Winchester from 852 until his death on July 2, 862, earning a reputation for rebuilding churches and feeding the poor. He was buried, at his own request, in the churchyard of the Old Minster rather than in a grand tomb inside. Nearly a century later, in 971, Bishop Aethelwold presided over the translation of his remains into the cathedral, and according to legend heavy rain fell on that day and kept falling, which was read as the saint's displeasure. The forty-day weather rhyme appeared in print by the seventeenth century, though the belief is far older and echoes similar folklore across Europe, including weather saints in Belgium, France, and Germany. Swithun became one of medieval England's most popular saints, with dozens of churches dedicated to him. Even after the Reformation dimmed his cult, the rhyme survived, and July 15 remains a fixture in the British calendar of curiosities.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- When is St Swithin's Day?
- St Swithin's Day falls every year on July 15, the traditional feast day of the ninth-century Bishop of Winchester.
- Is St Swithin's Day a public holiday?
- No. St Swithin's Day is a traditional observance, not a public holiday, so banks and offices operate normally across the UK.
- How do people celebrate St Swithin's Day?
- People observe the day mainly by watching the weather: rain supposedly means forty more days of showers, while sunshine promises a long dry spell. Some visit Winchester Cathedral, and folklore fans share the famous rhyme each year.
- What is the St Swithin's Day rhyme?
- The verse says: 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.