Weather Sayings: Folk Wisdom for the Entire Year

Today I was walking through the forest, which was beautifully covered in a blanket of snow. The kind of quiet, calm winter blanket that makes you feel like the world has slowed down for a moment. And during this walk, a thought crossed my mind. Not long ago, I wrote here about Christmas customs and traditions, and I thought to myself, wouldn't it be a shame to stop there?

So I decided to look into folk weather sayings (pranostiky). These are short sentences that our ancestors passed down from generation to generation, which they used to understand the weather, nature, and daily life. I researched various sources and selected the most famous sayings that still circulate among people today.

In this post, I will first list them by individual days and holidays, and then I will divide them month by month, so you can clearly see how the entire year can be read through the eyes of old folk wisdom. These sayings are a quiet but beautiful legacy of our ancestors, and perhaps even today they can encourage us to perceive the nature around us more deeply.

These sayings contain archaic words and literary terms; therefore, you will find explanations for these expressions at the end of the post.

January 1st

• As on New Year's Day, so throughout the year.
• If it's nice on New Year's Day, it will be the same during harvest.

January 6th (Epiphany / Three Kings)

• On Three Kings, a step further (daylight lengthens).
• On Three Kings, it freezes continuously.
• If it's windy on Three Kings, the planets will shuffle and it will be a fertile year.
• Many stars on Three Kings means many "kobzole" (potatoes).
• If it's clear on Three Kings, the wheat will thrive.

Masopust (Carnival / Shrovetide)

• Carnival in the sun - Easter whip by the stove.
• If there are long icicles during Carnival, it will be a fertile year for flies.

February 2nd (Candlemas / Hromnice)

• On Candlemas, an hour more (of daylight).
• On Candlemas, half of winter is gone.
• If Candlemas is clear and pure, winter will surely last longer; if it snows or thunders, spring is surely nearby.
• Puddles on Candlemas mean there will be apples and pears.
• If the badger comes out of his hole on Candlemas, he rushes back in four weeks.
• On Candlemas, the skylark must chirp even if he were to freeze.

February 3rd (St. Blaise)

• On St. Blaise's Day, even a small stone warms up.
• On St. Blaise, if enough water flows in the ruts to wet the tassel of a driver's whip, expect long flax.

February 14th (St. Valentine)

• On St. Valentine's Day, sow your seedlings in the garden bed.

February 16th (St. Juliana)

• On St. Juliana's Day, prepare the wagon and hide the sleigh.

February 22nd (St. Peter)

• If there is frost on the Feast of St. Peter's Chair, it will freeze for another 14 days.

February 23rd (St. Polycarp)

• On St. Polycarp's Day, the ditches are usually full of snow.

February 24th (St. Matthias)

• Saint Matthias breaks bridges or builds them.
• Saint Matthias breaks the ice; if there is none, he makes it.

February 28th (St. Romanus)

• If it is clear on St. Romanus' Day, there will be an abundant harvest.

March 3rd (St. Cunigunde)

• If it freezes on Cunigunde's Day, it will freeze for another forty days.

March 6th (St. Frederick)

• On St. Frederick's Day, the sun breathes with warmth.

March 7th (St. Thomas)

• On St. Thomas' Day, snow melts into mush.
• The winter that Thomas brings shakes us for a long time yet.

March 10th

• Forty Martyrs - forty frosts.
• If it freezes on the day of the Forty Martyrs, another forty morning frosts will come.

March 12th (St. Gregory)

• On St. Gregory's Day, day and night are in equal measure.
• On St. Gregory's Day, the stork flies from the sea, the frog opens its mouth, and lazy is the farmer who does not plow.

March 17th (St. Gertrude)

• If it freezes on St. Gertrude's Day, it will freeze for the whole month.

March 19th (St. Joseph)

• Saint Joseph douses the light.
• A fine day on St. Joseph's heralds a good year; if it rains or snows, it will be wet and a bad harvest.
• If there is wind on St. Joseph's, it will last for a quarter of a year.
• Saint Joseph with a kind face ends the full winter.

March 25th

• Saint Matthias adds a log, Saint Joseph two, and the Virgin Mary a whole armful.
• If the night before Lady Day is clear, there will be a beautiful, fertile harvest.
• The Virgin Mary blows out the candle and Saint Michael lights it.
• The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary brings the swallows back.
• If the sun shines on the day of the Annunciation, it will be a fertile year.

March 27th (St. Rupert)

• As the weather is on St. Rupert's Day, so it will be in July.

March 31st (St. Balbina)

• By St. Balbina's Day, winter is already over.

April 2nd (St. Theodore)

• Rain on St. Theodore's Day signifies much water in May.

April 5th (St. Fedul)

• Saint Fedul blew warmly.

April 23rd (St. Adalbert / Vojtěch)

• Storms before Adalbert mean rain during harvest.

April 24th (St. George)

• Bright George, a fine autumn.
• If it thunders before George, there will be snow after him.
• When there is dew before George, there will be frost before Michael.
• Dry before George, wet after him.

April 25th (St. Mark)

• Plant potatoes on St. Mark's Day - the hole will be full of them.
• If it's rainy on St. Mark's - it will be muddy for seven weeks.

April 28th (St. Vitalis)

• Thunder between Mark and Vitalis signifies a fertile year.

May 1st (St. Philip and James)

• On Philip and James, the pony can nibble some grass.
• Night rain before Philip foretells a year of abundant harvest.

May 4th (St. Florian)

• If there is a strong wind on St. Florian's Day, there will be many fires that year.

May 12th (St. Pancras, Servatius, Boniface)

• Rain on Pancras, Servatius, and Boniface, then it rains all summer.
• Pancras, Servatius, Boniface - the "Ice Men" burn both fruit and rose with frost.

May 13th

• Before Servatius there is no summer, after Servatius frosts are gone.

May 15th (St. Sophia)

• St. Sophia's rain beats down the plums.
• St. Sophia often waters the fields.

May 26th (St. Urban)

• When it rains on Urban's Day, there will be many mice.
• Flax is sown on Urban's Day.
• Rain at Whitsuntide, sun on Midsummer.

June 1st (St. Fortunatus)

• On St. Fortunatus' Day, a drop of rain is worth a ducat.
• Fine weather on this day promises a fertile year.

June 6th (St. Norbert)

• Saint Boniface, Norbert, and Robert are the "Little Ice Men."
• On St. Norbert's Day, the cold goes to the devil.

June 8th (St. Medard)

• Medard's hood - drips for forty days.
• Whatever the weather on Medard, it tends to last for six weeks.

June 11th (St. Barnabas)

• On St. Barnabas' Day, storms often haunt.
• If it rains on St. Barnabas, grapes fall into the basket.
• Weeping Barnabas - harvest in the vineyards.

June 12th (St. Antonia)

• St. Antonia often has tearful eyes.

June 13th (St. Anthony)

• On St. Anthony's Day, the sharpening of scythes begins.

June 15th (St. Vitus)

• Fair weather on St. Vitus means goodness for the rye.
• Saint Vitus changes the time.
• Rain on Vitus - the rye will be poor.

June 23rd (St. Agrippina)

• On St. Agrippina's Day, rest only in the shade.

June 24th (St. John the Baptist)

• On St. John's Day, the gate to summer opens.
• Do not praise the barley until St. John the Baptist's Day.
• If it rains on St. John the Baptist, it rains for three whole days; if without rain, it will stay fine.
• Rain on St. John the Baptist, you won't gather a bushel of walnuts.
• If the cuckoo doesn't call before St. John's, it will be a poor harvest year.

June 27th (St. Ladislaus)

• If it rains on Ladislaus, the rain lasts for seven weeks.
• If it doesn't rain on the Seven Brothers, then the harvest will be dry.

June 29th (St. Peter and Paul)

• If it rains on Peter's Day, the rain piles up for thirty days.
• If it rains on St. Peter and Paul, there will be many mice and many mushrooms will grow.
• If it's sweltering from Peter to Lawrence, winter will stay cold for a long time.

July 2nd (Visitation of the Virgin Mary)

• Rain on the Visitation will last until St. Susan's.
• If it rains on the Visitation, forty days won't pass without rain.

July 4th (St. Procopius)

• When it rains on St. Procopius' Day, every haycock gets soaked.

July 8th (St. Kilian)

• Whatever rye has grown by St. Kilian's Day, that is all that will remain.

July 13th (St. Margaret)

• St. Margaret threw the sickle into the rye.
• If Margaret cries, there will be rain aplenty.

July 18th (St. Camillus)

• On St. Camillus' Day, the sun has its greatest power.

July 19th (St. Vincent)

• If it is sunny on St. Vincent's Day, there will be a lot of wine.

July 25th (St. James)

• A fine day before St. James' promises a fine harvest.
• As many clouds on James' Day, so much snow in winter.
• What (wine) fades by St. James' Day will ripen by St. Gall's.
• A fine day before St. James' promises a good harvest.
• As warm as St. James' Day is, so cold is Christmas.

July 26th (St. Anne)

• St. Anne, cold in the morning.

August 4th (St. Dominic)

• Heat on Dominic's Day - manure is in vain.

August 10th (St. Lawrence)

• Sunshine on St. Lawrence, wine in abundance.
• Do not praise the wheat until St. Lawrence's Day.
• Lawrence shows what kind of autumn is approaching.
• Fine weather on St. Lawrence's Day points to a fine autumn.

August 15th (Assumption of the Virgin Mary)

• If it's fine on the Assumption, a blessed autumn will arrive and the weather will favor the vines.

August 18th (St. Helena)

• If Helena brings rain, the aftermath stays green for long.

August 23rd (St. Philip)

• If Philip has thunder in his train, it signifies early rain and harvest.

August 24th (St. Bartholomew)

• St. Bartholomew shortens the afternoons.
• If it's beautiful on Bartholomew's Day, the winemakers smile.
• If it thunders after St. Bartholomew's Day, the autumn will be long and fine.
• Whatever the weather on St. Bartholomew's Day, so will it be all autumn long.

August 29th (St. John the Baptist)

• If it rains on the day of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, the walnuts will spoil.
• On St. John's Day, it is lucky to mow the potato stalks.

September 2nd

• On King Stephen's Day, summer is nearly gone.

September 12th (Holy Name of Mary)

• Whatever the weather on the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, it will last for four weeks.
• On the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the swallows gather.
• If it doesn't rain on Mary's Nativity, it will be a dry autumn.

September 21st (St. Matthew)

• Fine weather on St. Matthew's Day stays undisturbed for four weeks.
• Whatever weather Matthew arranges, it lasts for four weeks.
• After St. Matthew's, pull your cap over your ears.

September 26th (St. Cyprian)

• On St. Cyprian's Day, it's often cold in the morning.

September 28th (St. Wenceslaus)

• Wenceslaus arrives - prepare the stove.
• Saint Wenceslaus protects the wine; the vintage follows him.
• If there's a storm on Wenceslaus' Day, it heralds warmth for a long time.
• On St. Wenceslaus' Day, there's usually a flood of mud.

September 29th (St. Michael)

• If the birds are not gone before Michael's, a harsh winter won't roar after him.
• If the night before Michael's is cold, a harsh winter comes at a gallop.
• Wet on Michael's, cold on Christmas Day.

September 30th (St. Jerome)

• On St. Jerome's Day, winter is already moving in.

October 1st (St. Remigius)

• If the wind blows from the east on St. Remigius' Day, it will be a warm autumn.

October 4th (St. Francis)

• Saint Francis drives people into their huts.

October 15th (St. Theresa)

• After St. Theresa's, frost crawls over the roofs.

October 16th (St. Gall / Havel)

• Whatever day St. Gall shows, such a winter appears.
• On St. Gall's Day, all fruit should be in the larder.
• A dry Gall announces a dry summer.

October 28th (St. Simon and Jude)

• Simon and Jude - either snow or clods.
• On Simon and Jude, the cat crawls down from the loft.

November 11th (St. Martin)

• Whatever the weather on St. Martin's Day, such will be the winter.
• If Martin wraps himself in mists, a mild winter usually follows.
• On St. Martin's Day, smoke rises from the chimney.
• If the gander walks on ice on Martin's, the geese will walk through mud at Christmas.

November 16th (St. Otmar)

• On St. Otmar's Day, you won't see a mosquito anymore.

November 17th (St. Elizabeth)

• Saint Elizabeth arrives with snow.

November 21st (Presentation of the Virgin Mary)

• If the night of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary is clear, a cruel winter is brewing in January.

November 22nd (St. Cecilia)

• Saint Cecilia covers the fields with snow.

November 23rd (St. Clement)

• Saint Clement fondles the winter, Saint Peter strains it.

November 25th (St. Catherine)

• If Saint Catherine walks on ice, Saint Stephen walks in mud.
• As warm as it is on St. Augustine's, so cold it will be on Catherine's.
• On Saint Catherine's Day, we hide under the duvet.
• Saint Catherine arrives dressed in white.

December 4th (St. Barbara)

• Whatever the weather on St. Barbara's Day, it usually stays that way until Christmas.
• On Saint Barbara's Day, get the sleigh into the yard.
• After Saint Barbara's Day, guard your nose and ears!
• If a goose can walk on ice on St. Barbara's, it will walk on a wagon at Christmas.
• Saint Barbara drives the wood from the yard (into the stove).

December 6th (St. Nicholas)

• Saint Nicholas washes the banks (it often rains).
• On Saint Nicholas' Day, snow often dusts about.
• If a bird drinks from a wheel rut on Nicholas' Day, a horse won't drink from the river for three months.
• If it rains or snows on Nicholas' Day, there will be many peas next year.

December 13th (St. Lucy)

• Saint Lucy drinks away the night but adds nothing to the day.
• Whatever the days are like from St. Lucy to Christmas, such will be the months of the next year (12 days - 12 months).
• When Saint Lucy arrives, she finds winter already here.

Christmas

• Better a cracking Christmas than a leaking (thawing) one.
• A green Christmas - a white Easter.
• Christmas on ice - Easter in the mud.
• Dark Christmas (cloudy) - bright barns (full of grain).

December 24th (Adam and Eve)

• On Adam and Eve, expect a thaw.
• If it snows on Christmas Eve, hops will be harvested by the sackful.

December 25th

• On Christmas Day, the day lengthens by a flea's leap.
• Frost on Christmas Day - winter will remain unchanged.
• If it rains on Christmas Day, drought will spoil the harvest.

December 26th (St. Stephen)

• If Saint Stephen blows away the mud, a fine spring will follow.
• If winds strike on Stephen's Day, everything will yield a poor harvest next year.

December 28th

• On the Day of the Holy Innocents, the day rejuvenates.
• If there is fog on the Innocents from Lysá Hora, the "kobzole" (potatoes) won't grow; if the fog is in the valleys, there will be plenty.

January

• If it is warm in January, poverty reaches the bottom.
• A wet January - empty barrels - no wine will be produced.
• A foggy January - a wet spring.
• As the day grows, so grows the cold.
• A cold January, a green April.
• If January doesn't hold firm, no other month will.
• If a mole digs in January, winter ends in May.
• Much snow in January, much hay in June.
• Better to see a wolf in the field than a farmer in his shirt in January.

February

• White February, the field strengthens.
• If February is dry and cold, August will be hot.
• If February doesn't butt with its horn, it will lash with its tail.
• If a cat lies in the sun in February, it will surely crawl behind the stove in March.
• Many fogs in February bring much rain that year.
• What February greens, March defends; what April greens, May burns.
• If February had the power of January, it would freeze the calf inside the cow.

March

• The March sun has short arms and a long coat.
• The March sun chills from the feet up.
• March - crawl behind the stove.
• Winter often pokes its head into March and sometimes even smothers it.
• A dry March, a wet April, and a windy May fill sacks with grain and barrels with wine.
• As many fogs in March, so many downpours in July.
• In March, the farmer prunes the trees but doesn't take off his coat yet.
• What February greens, March defends; what April greens, May burns.
• If it thunders in March, it snows in May.
• March knows how to melt snow and ice, but also how to make it.

April

• You cannot describe April weather.
• April weather is times of fair and foul.
• April is half March and half May.
• In April, nine kinds of weather can meet in one day.
• A lord’s love and April snow do not last long.
• April weather is more fickle than a woman.
• A child's cry, a lord's favor, and April weather are always inconstant.
• In April, it warms from above but freezes from below.
• If Maundy Thursday is white, the summer is warm.
• When it thunders on Good Friday, the field will not yield.
• A rainy Good Friday makes for a thirsty year.
• Easter rain brings dry grass, but fine weather brings plenty of fat and food.
• Clear weather at Easter - summer starts at Whitsuntide.
• If it rains on Easter Sunday, all Sundays until Whitsun will be rainy.
• The wind that prevails from Easter to Whitsun stays all year.
• March - behind the stove, April - still there, May - we drive the goats to the woods.
• What April saves, May burns.
• If April is fine, May will be even better.
• A wet April and a cold May make for full granaries and haylofts.
• April snow manures like dung.
• Warm rains in April - warm days in October.

May

• March - behind the stove, April - still there, May - we drive the goats to the woods.
• What April saves, May burns.
• A May moisture - the grass will grow; a May drizzle - the bread will grow.
• If April is fine, May will be even better.
• A wet April and a cold May make for full granaries and haylofts.
• A rainy May - a thirsty October.
• A wet May is followed by a dry June.
• If it doesn't rain in May, June will finish it.

June

• Rainy and cold weather in June easily causes a poor harvest year.
• If thunder is often heard in June, a murky summer follows.
• When northern winds blow in June, storms are delayed.
• June lightning, granaries creaking (from the weight of grain).
• If it thunders in June, the grain will thrive.
• If there is lightning and thunder in June, the farmer slumbers contentedly.
• June evening thunder brings a bounty of fish and crayfish.
• A steady June makes a perfect December.

July

• As the day shortens, the heat increases.
• When July warms nicely, winter will shine at Christmas.
• July brings heat, hail, and honeydew if it is rich in storms and gales.
• What July doesn't cook, August won't bake.
• What July ends, August begins.
• As July is, so is January.
• Rain and sunshine in July mean an abundant harvest next year.
• The sun scorches, the rain will flow.
• July - the harvest's twin.
• July reaps the rye and welcomes the cherries.
• July turns red, every bud ripens.
• If ants build their homes in July and pile them ever higher, a harsh winter will come sooner.
• As the day shortens, the heat increases.
• A wet July is followed by storms and hail.

August

• In August, when the midnight wind blows, the sun warms without rain.
• August rain - like a woman's cry (brief).
• When there are heavy dews in August, the weather usually stays fine.
• If August is hot at the start, an icy wind blows long in winter.
• When a north wind blows in August, it will be fine for a long time after.
• When there is much dew in the August morning, the wasps are happy.
• The scythe will ring merrily if there is much dew in August.
• Many August mushrooms, many snow blizzards.
• Fogs on meadows, streams, and rivers in August herald lasting weather.
• If it thunders much in August, the winter will be rich in snow.

September

• September, old age approaches the summer.
• Whatever weather St. Giles shows, it holds for the whole month.
• Clear Giles - beautiful autumn.
• A clear day on St. Giles' Day heralds a beautiful autumn.
• For the soil and the sowing, it's a blessing if there's sunny weather on Giles'.
• Thunder and lightning on Giles' Day - four weeks of wet paths.
• Saint Giles tempers the sun.
• If thunder is heard in September, every tree will be buried in snow in winter.
• There are many fires in September, that’s why the sky turns red.
• Storm in September - snow in December.
• What August doesn't bake, September won't cook.
• September - the May of autumn.
• After a warm September, October looks grim.
• In autumn, a spoonful of rain and a bucket of mud.
• In autumn, light the stove.

October

• The longer the swallows stay with us in October, the longer the fine and clear days will last.
• If it snows in October, the winter will be mild.
• If the leaves do not fall from the trees in October, the winter will be harsh.
• Much rain in October - much wind in December.
• If October is very green, January will be very cold.
• October is already cold, but never hungry.
• When leaves do not fall for a long time, a harsh winter sneaks in.
• When leaves do not fall for a long time in October, a harsh winter creeps up.
• When redpolls are not to be seen, prepare for a harsh winter.
• When the cross spider hides in October and does not come out, snow is not far off.
• If October is very green, January will be very cold indeed.
• If there are many wasps and hornets in October, a cold and long winter is coming.
• October still warms at one end but already freezes at the other.

November 

• At the beginning of November, warmth argues with winter.
• When the mole digs in November, mosquitoes will fly at Christmas.
• If it snows at the beginning of November, the snow will be as high as towers.
• Cold November - green January.
• If it thunders in November, it will be a good year.
• When the mole digs in November, mosquitoes will fly at Christmas.
• November snowing does not harm the crops at all.
• When the stars twinkle in the sky in November, frosts will soon take hold.
• Too much snow and water in November is a sign of a future poor harvest.
• As November is, so is March.
• Cold November - green January.
• Whatever the weather in November, it usually returns in March.
• If leaves fall in November, ice will surely come soon, but it won't stay long.
• November moves from fog, rime, rain, snow, drought, and mud toward winter.

December

• Whatever the weather on St. Barbara's Day, it stays that way all through Advent.
• If it is frosty on the first of Advent, winter will last eighteen weeks.
• If Saint Martin arrives on a white horse, blizzard follows blizzard.
• If it freezes on Catherine's, it rains on Barbara's.
• December with snow on the path, rye is in every highland.
• When it freezes and snows in December, a fertile year follows.
• Cold December - early spring.
• A mild December - a mild winter throughout.
• Frosts that subside early in December mean a mild winter.
• A dry December is followed by a dry spring.
• As the cold is in December - so is the heat in June.
• If the first snow falls on wet ground, the harvest will be weak.
• As December is, so is the whole year.
• If a cruel winter sets in far and wide on the first Sunday of Advent, it will last four weeks.
• If it is frosty in the first week of Advent, winter will last eighteen weeks.

Explanation of older and lesser-known terms:

• Kobzole: An old folk term for potatoes.
• Otava (Aftermath): The second grass that grows back after the first mowing of a meadow.
• Harvest (Žně): The period of gathering grain, most often in summer.
• Mrva: Manure or fertilizer; in sayings, often meaning "something that benefits the soil."
• Věrtel: An old vessel or measure used during harvest (e.g., for walnuts).
• Granary (Sýpka): A building or room for storing grain and seeds.
• Thunder (Hřmí): An older term for a storm or thundering.
• Hood (Kápě): Figuratively means long-lasting rain (e.g., Medard's hood).
• Sweltering (Parno): Humid, hot weather, often before a storm.
• Ruts (Koleje): Tracks left by wagons where water collected after rain.
• Bread (Chlebíček): In sayings, it refers figuratively to grain and the harvest.
• Muddy (Blátivo): A long rainy period, muddy roads and fields.
• Annunciation/Nativity, etc.: Church holidays used in the past to navigate the year agriculturally.
• Hrozince: A small amount of grapes, sometimes figuratively "a little bit."
• Chirp/Creak (Vrznout): To make a sharp sound (e.g., a bird).
• Tassel (Střapec): The end clump of a whip's lash.
• Ditch (Škarpa): A slope or trench, often by a field or road.
• Slushy (Bředne): Softening or melting (e.g., snow melting).
• Blew (Zadul): Warmed up; "blew warmly" = warmed (usually the sun or weather).
• Podzimek: A nice short autumn period when it is still warm and dry.
• Veta: An old expression for damage or end; here meaning frost or winter is "done for."
• Ducat (Dukát): An old gold coin, figuratively "a valuable thing."
• Gallop (Cval): Fast horse gait, figuratively "quickly, swiftly."
• Strain (Ucezuje): To chill, freeze, or solidify.
• Všecko: An older form of "všechno" (everything).
• Mláďátka (Innocents): Folk term for the end of the year holidays.
• Whitsuntide (Letnice): Pentecost, fifty days after Easter.
• Moisture (Vlažička): Gentle warm rain or dew, soil humidity.
• Clatter (Řinčet): The sound of metal, ringing, or sometimes the sound of rain.
• Giles (Jiljí): Folk name for Saint Giles, feast day September 1st (translated as Sept 12th in text).
• Redden (Rdívá): To turn red; figuratively about the sky at sunset.
• Thunder (Hřímat): To rumble, to storm.

In Conclusion?

What do you think of our ancestors' weather sayings? Interesting, isn't it? And now the same thing is surely running through your head: was it rainy on that day, or was the wind blowing? Will January really be wintry and icy, or not? Ha, I have the same questions and memory-searching going on. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed these sayings. Perhaps I will soon come up with something else to interest you. Have a wonderful rest of the day!

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