72°f, 22°C. Overcast, a light shower that ended quickly. Maybe more rain later. Maybe. We had nothing yesterday.
Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit! Wishing you all good luck and good fortune this month.
In other folkloric news, Dog Days, which began July 3, end August 11. What are Dog Days? Wikipedia gives this explanation: The dog days or dog days of summer are the hot, sultry days of summer. They were historically the period following the heliacal rising of the star system Sirius, which Hellenistic astrology connected with heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad dogs, and bad luck. Wikipedia
.jpeg)
Sirius is commonly known as the dog star, so there is where the name comes from. I have always heard that dogs will get rabies more easily in dog days, wounds won't heal properly, and wildlife may exhibit odd behavior. My oldest son, an amateur meteorologist, noted that a wet April such as we had this year, will lead to a dry, hot spell that will end with dog days. I sure hope he is right about this weather ending!
Some other common superstitions about dog days:
- The ancient Greeks believed dog days were a time of intense heat, drought, and madness in both humans and animals.
- Serious illnesses will be worse, and recovery will be harder.
- Ghosts, especially the bad ones, are more likely to be roaming about causing trouble.
- Not a good idea to have surgery during dog days, as infection could set in more easily.
- If it rains on the first day of dog days, then it will rain every day til dog days is over.
- Bad luck will be more likely.
- Snakes will go blind and strike randomly.
- Canned foods are more likely to spoil.
I am sure there are others. Some of these are self-explanatory, as heat and humidity can cause short tempers, and bacteria flourish in such conditions. Basically it sounds like we all need to stay cool, stay clean, and avoid animals! Do you have any sayings to add to this list?
Today's Tomato Adventure: canning tomato soup. Another half bushel is sitting in my kitchen, so I better get to work! And avoid cutting myself, stirring up any evil spirits, etc, etc.
I just went grab my pulli...it's getting cooler with the rain almost all day...interesting about dog days...
ReplyDeleteGreat, now I have to worry about blind snakes and cranky ghosts? As if I don't have enough things to worry about!
ReplyDeleteI have nothing to add to the list, but I will be watching out for blind snakes! :)
ReplyDeleteI always associate the Dog Days with hot, hot August...I wonder if there are regional variations on the dates? Anyway, it sure seems like July's weather has had me ready to crawl under a shady bush and lay there with my tongue hanging out. If only it wasn't so muddy under there.
ReplyDelete...I'm not a dog fan and I surely don't like the dog days of summer. They are too hot for this old guy.
ReplyDeleteWhatever the dog days are, I think I shall look forward to Aug 12. Actually, we are supposed to be getting a bit of a reprieve next week, at least for awhile.
ReplyDelete