Italian legend: Giorni della merla – Blackbird days Coldest days of year

The month of January is slipping away. It is almost already over. Time is flying by but not the cold! Even if we are on the threshold of February, we are still in the middle of winter. There is a cold that just sinks into your bones and makes you wonder if summer will ever arrive. I was on Skype with a friend who lives in Italy. While we talked, she was wrapped in a blanket, but she was still shivering just the same.

Yes, there are just a few days left of January. Another little ending. But I love turning the pages of the calendar to begin a new month and see the beautiful photo that is featured each month. The image below is from a calendar that features original photographs taken by my friend Graziana.

This particular photo that my friend took, makes me think of the legend of the blackbird. In Italy they say that the last three days predict how the rest of the winter will go. It is kind of like our Ground Hogs Day. In America, on the 2nd of February, if the groundhog sees his shadow, he is terrified and goes underground for six more weeks. This means that winter will continue a bit longer. If instead the weather if sunny, the groundhog doesn’t scare himself and thus emerges from his den signifying that spring is just around the corner.

Legend of the Blackbird

Here is the legend of the Blackbird: According to tradition, if the 29, 30, and 31 of January are indeed the three coldest days of winter, then spring will arrive early. If they are warm, spring will come late.

As the story goes, a long time ago, on these days (January 29, 30, and 31) a beautiful, proud bird with feathers white as snow, sought refuge from the intense cold. The only safe haven it could find was in a chimney. There the bird hid for three days. When the weather grew warmer she emerged from the chimney. However, her feathers were forever darkened by the chimney’s ashes and to this day she remains a blackbird.

Listen to a lovely song called “La Merla” that tells the story of this legend.

This January has indeed been frigid! However if we believe the legend of the blackbird, spring will arrive soon this year. Take heart! We must suffer winter just a few more weeks more.

Happy February everybody!