My earlier post about March weather coming “In like a lion, out like a lamb” was more about the current blurring of seasons due to the pandemic than about weather. But reading that post later got me thinking about the origin of that weather lore.
There are several March weather lore sayings I found:
So many mists in March you see / So many frosts in May will be.
A Peck of March-Dust, and a Shower in May / Makes the Corn green, and the Fields gay.
March many-Weathers rain’d and blow’d / But March grass never did good.
As far as the lion and lamb for the month, it seems obvious that March begins in winter (literally) and ends with spring astronomically. Of course, location changes all that. My end of March weather was still more lion than lamb.
So what is the origin of that march weather phrase? I found two possibilities.
The one I find most likely is an astronomical – or probably astrological – explanation. The constellation Leo is the rising sign in March, and by April it is Aries that is rising. Now Aries is a full-grown ram but I suppose “out like a kid” didn’t sound very good.
I also saw a religious explanation that said that Jesus arrives as the sacrificial lamb, but will return as the Lion of Judah. I don’t know that information too well and it sounds doubtful for weather lore.
Weekends in Paradelle 