Gary shares some March-related lore:

“A peck of dust

 Is worth a king’s ransom”

A peck being a unit of dry volume. Finding that much dry soil in March is very unusual.

“March many weathers”

As we have seen, March is rather a volatile month weather-wise.

“If March comes in like a lion,

 It goes out like a lamb.

 If it comes in like a lamb,

 It goes out like a lion.”

“March borrows its last three days from April” (some say ten). In other words, the weather at the end of March and the beginning of April is similar.

“As many mists in March as there are frosts in May.”

“March’ll search ye, April try ye

 May’ll tell, whether live or die ye.”

Sources: “The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady.” by Elizabeth Holden, page 21.

“Weather Forecasting the Country Way.” by Robin Page, page 61.

The twenty-fifth of March is the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

“St Mary blows out the candle,

 St Michael lights it again.”

This is to do with the evenings getting lighter and then getting darker again come Michaelmas.

Source: “Discovering Saints in Britain” by John Vince, page 45.

A nineteenth century poem about Mothering Sunday goes:

“The lad and lass on Mothering Day

 Hie home to their mother so dear;

 ‘Tis a kiss for she and a kiss for they,

 A chine of pork and a sprig of bay.

 A song and a dance – but never a tear.”

Pork was the traditional dinner and a delicacy called frumenty, the recipe for which you can find on the internet. It is a sort of a porridge.

Source: “Folklore of Warwickshire.” by Roy Palmer, page 254

About the author

Gary Stocker graduated from Coventry Polytechnic in 1991 with a degree in combined engineering. He worked in civil engineering for nearly twenty years. For the last six years he has worked in materials science and currently works as a test engineer. His hobbies and interests include voluntary work, conservation work and blacksmithing. He is also interested in history, mythology and folklore and he says, “most things”.

How did your granny predict the weather? What did your great uncle Albert tell you about the little green men he saw in the woods that night? What strange creature stalks the woods in your area?

So many of these old stories are slipping away for want of being recorded. legendary creatures, odd bits of folklore, folk remedies and charms, and all the old stories that brought our landscape to life…

Tell me a story, share memories of the old ways that are being forgotten, share the folklore of your home. I am not looking for fiction with this feature, but for genuine bits of folklore, old wives tales, folk magic and local legends. Why not share what you know and preserve it for the future?

Email me at findme@scvincent.com and put ‘Living Lore’ in the subject line. All I need is your article, bio and links, along with any of your own images you would like me to include and I’ll do the rest.