January 22nd.
Little is known of Vincent of Saragossa apart from the fact that he was martyred for his faith in AD 304, but he was a widely popular saint across Europe and in Anglo-Saxon England. In English tradition, his day is only remembered in weather predictions, most of which agree that sunshine on the day augurs well for the year. A Northumberland version, quoted in1904, by local folklorist Mrs. Balfour, makes the point:
Remember on St. Vincent’s Day,
if the sun his beams display
be sure to mark his transient beam,
which through the casement sheds a gleam
for ’tis a token bright and clear
of prosperous weather all the year
[© Steve Roud: The English Year. 2006]
nickreeves 