The Popular Custom of Calends
Between
December 13th and 24th of each year, superstitious people, especially farmers
and fishermen, should note all the changes in the weather to try and forecast
the weather for the coming year.
Tradition
has it that the last twelve before Christmas correspond exactly to the twelve
months of the following year. So, the 13th December would be January, the
14th, February, and so on till the 24th which would be December.
"This superstition is found throughout Europe. There are many countries
where
the Rules or Calends start on the 14th, 21st, 25th, 26th, the 31st December or
1st January. Calends fall on the same days as ours in Portugal, France, some
Italian provinces such as Calabria, the island of Sicily and Croatia,"
Gorg Mifsud Chircop said. "The day starts at midnight and lasts through
the next 24 hours till the following midnight. Therefore 24 should be divided
by 30 days or 31 depending on the month to which it corresponds. In order to
be exact, the farmer is supposed to follow the weather changes scrupulously
throughout the day - especially slight variations of the wind, the increase or
decrease of its force, rainfall, sunshine and cloudiness."
However,
meteorologist Joe Meilak of the Nadur Weather Observatory believes Calends are
just an ancient custom. "I don't believe in Calends as no one and nothing
can predict the future. If there was any instance when a farmer managed to
forecast the weather through Calends that was just coincidental."
Click here
to go to the Nadur Weather Observatory website.
