Red Letter Days

March 29, 2008

Borrowing Days

The last three days of March have a reputation for being stormy. Scottish folklore proposes that these three days were borrowed from April so that March might extend his power. The Spanish story about the borrowing days is that a shepherd promised March a lamb if he would temper the winds to suit the shepherd's flocks. But after his request was granted, the shepherd refused to deliver the payment. In revenge, March borrowed three days from April, in which fiercer winds than ever blew to punish the deceiver.

March borrowit from April
Three days, and they were ill:
The first was frost, the second was snaw,
The third was cauld as ever't could blaw.

-- Scottish proverb

The term "red-letter day" originates with the tradition of marking holy days in a church calendar in red. We use the term here to designate days of special significance in each month -- holidays, astronomical happenings, anniversaries of historic events, and days with memorable folklore attached. Information is drawn from the library of The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Every month you'll find a calendar of these "red-letter days" on the front page of Almanac.com.