Here's a way to predict the weather for the upcoming year.
According to one of Clifton Johnson's 19th century informants, the weather on each of the twelve days of Christmas predicts what the weather will be for the coming twelve months. I'm assuming they mean only in terms of sunshine, precipitation and cloud cover. Otherwise, for this system to work January 1st would have to be hot and humid to accurately predict August weather. Even with global warming that's not going to happen (yet)!
Christmas in the past, according to Stephen Nissenbaum, used to be an amorphous season that sometimes lasted for months. I'm not sure where the concept of twelve days of Christmas first originated, but there are lots of significant twelves in the world: twelve months, twelve signs of the zodiac, twelve apostles, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve Olympian gods, twelve imams., etc. I recall learning that there was once a numerical system based on the number twelve, from which we get twelve inches in a foot, twelve items in a dozen, and twelve dozen in a gross. Wikipedia (of course) has an article about the number twelve.
That's the Babylonian system. It's also why we have 24 hours in a day and 360 degrees in a circle.
ReplyDeleteI just discovered your blog and am reading it all backwards. Good stuff!
Thanks for the comment! From Babylon to Boston - it's a long trip!
ReplyDeleteMy parents and grandparents have long used this system (The Old Twelve Days) to predict the year's weather which was useful when it came time for planting or planning outdoor events! I still use it as do my children and grandchildren. Tried and True! The Twelve Days begin the day after Christmas (Dec. 26) and end twelve days later on Old Christmas (Jan. 6).
ReplyDeleteSandra, thanks for the comment. I'm glad to know this works for you. I guess I'd need to write down the weather for the 12 days and then plan from there?
ReplyDeletePretty much accurate, my grandparents taught me about it when I was young. Have recorded it every year and refer back to it all year long.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mahay! I should try that myself this year. Hopefully climate change won't mess this system up...
ReplyDeleteI was just researching about weather prediction and the first twelve days of the year and ended up in your blog, I am enjoying it!
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother always spoke about "las cabañuelas" and roughly it is about weather prediction going by the first twelve days of the year.
I do not know the details, but I will ask her and post back.
Hi Anonymous! Thanks for the comment. What is your family's ethnic background? I think the twelve days of weather predictions is probably a really old European tradition that made its way to the New World in various ways. Please let me know if you get more details!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kate! That's really interesting. I always mean to try it but never do...
ReplyDeleteMy father based the year's weather off of the first twelve days of the year. While not always accurate the general pattern -- Jan 2nd (Feb) cold, snowy Jan 6th (Jun) sunny, dry etc does seem to hold true. I continue his tradition to this day.
ReplyDeleteIs this blog still going along? My Aunt mentioned to me today about the "Old 12 Days" and I started looking and found this. I have never heard of this before, but I am really interested in following this thru to see what the weather holds for the next year. I live in South Georgia and things change pretty quickly...
ReplyDeleteI love reading about folklore!
I had never heard about this before Peter, thanks for sharing!
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ReplyDeletewaiting for your further post thank you once again.
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