Chresdag an der Dühr,
Ostern öm et Für.

A Noel au balcon,
A Pâques au tison.

A Noël les moucherons,

A Pâques les glaçons.

General Proverbs respecting Christmas.

Fina a Nadal nè frèd nè fam:

De Nadal in là,

Fred e fam i se ne va :

i.e., Up to Christmas, neither cold nor hunger : after Christmas, cold, hunger, and snow.

Up to Christmas, it is "Kraljewitsch Marko !" i.e. song and dance.

After Christmas, it is "Alas, my mother!" i.e. weeping and sorrow.-Herzegovina.

Après grant joie vient grant ire (colère),
Et après Noël vent bise.

Christmas day falling on the different days of the week.

Quando Natale vien di Dominica,

Vendi la tonica per comprar la melica-Tuscany : i.e., When Christmas day falls on a Sunday, sell your coat and buy maize (because the year will be unfruitful).

Si Noué toumbo un luns (lundi)

Qui a dous bous n'en tuéni un;

Si Noué es sen luno,

Qui a dous fies (brebis) n'en tuéni uno.-Hautes Alpes.

Noel le jeudi-c'est la famine.-Gers.

:

The following very curious early poem (MS. Harl. 2252,
fol. 154) is given in Brand, i. 478 :-
"Lordynges, I warne you ale beforne,
Yef that day that Cryste was borne
Falle uppon a Sunday,

That winter shalbe good, par fay,
But grete windes alofte shalbe,
The somer shalbe fayre and drye ;
By kynde skylle, wythowtyn lesse,
Throw all londes shalbe peas,

And good tyme all thynges to don

But he that stelythe, he shalbe fownde sone :
Whate chylde that day borne be,

A grete lorde he shalle ge, &c.

Yf Crystemas day on Monday be,

A grete wynter that

year have shall ye,

And fulle of wyndes, lowde and stylle,

But the somer, trewly to telle,

Shalbe sterne wyndes also,

And fulle of tempeste all thereto;

All batayle multiplye,

And grete plenty of beeve shall dye.
They that be borne that daye, I weene,

They shalbe stronge eche on and kene
And he that stelythe owghte:
Thow thowe be seke, thou dyeste not.

Yf Crystmas day on Tuysday be,
That year shall dyen wemen plenté
And that wynter wex greter marvaylys :
Shyppys shalbe in grete perylles ;

That yere shall kynges and lordes be slayne,
And myche hothyr pepylle agayn heym.
A drye somer that yere shalbe;
Alle that be borne there in may se,
They shalbe stronge and covethowse.
If thou stele awghte, thou lesyste the lyfe,
Thou shalte dye throwe swerde or knyfe ;
But and thow fall seke, sertayne,
Thou shalte turne to lyfe agayne.

Yf Crystmas day, the sothe to say,
Fall uppon a Wodnysday,

That

yere

shalbe an harde wynter and strong,

And many hydeus wyndes amonge :

The somer mery and good shalbe,
That year shalbe wete grete plenté:

Young folke shall dye that year also,

And shyppes in the see shall have grete woo. What childe that daye borne ys,

He shalbe dowghte and lyghte i-wysse,

And wyse and slyee also of dede,

And fynde many men mete and wede.

Yf Crystmas day on Thursday be,
A wyndy wynter see shalle yee,
Of wyndes and weders all weked.

And harde tempestes stronge and thycke.
The somer shalbe good and drye,
Cornys and bestes shall multiplye,

That yere ys good londes to tylthe,

And kynges and prynces shall dye by skylle :

What chylde that day borne bee,

Hee shalle have happe ryghte well to the,

Of dedes hee shalbe goode and stabylle,
Of speche and tonge wyse and reasonabylle :
Who so that day ony thefte abowte,

He shalbe shente wyth-owtyn dowte:
And yf sekenes on the that day betyde,
Hyt shall sone fro the glyde.

Yf Crystmas day on the Fryday be,
The fyrste of wynter harde shalbe,
With froste and snowe, and with flode,
But the laste ende thereof ys goode.
Agayn, the somer shalbe good also,
Folkes in hyr yere shall have grete woo:
Wemen wyth chyld, bestes wyth corne,
Shall multiplye, and none be borne:
The chylde that ys borne that daye,
Shall longe lyve and lecherowus be aye :
Who so stelythe awghte, he shalbe fownde,
And thow be seke, hyt lastythe not longe.

Yf Crystmas on the Saterday falle,
That wynter ys to be dredden alle,
Hyt shalbe so full of grete tempeste,
That hyt shall sle bothe man and beste,
Frute and corne shall fayle grete won,
And olde folke dyen many on:

Whate woman that day of chylde travayle,
They shalbe borne in grete perelle ;

And chyldren that be borne that day,
Within halfe a yere they shall dye, par fay;
The somer then shall wete ryghte ylle:
If thou awghte stele, hyt shal the spylle:
Thou dyest yf sekenes take the."

Prognostications of the same character are to be found in 'The Book of Knowledge,' p. 2; and 'The Husbandman's Practice,' p. 78.

26. (St Stephen.)

Bläst der Wind am Stephanitag recht,

Wird der Wein auf's Jahr schlecht.-Swabia.

27. (St John the Evangelist.)

Ist der Johannistag dunkel, so folgt ein gutes Jahr.

A la Saint Jean
Renouvelle l'an.

28. (Innocents Day.)

If it be lowering or wet on Childermas Day, it threatens scarcity and mortality among the weaker sort of young people; but if the day be very fair, it promises plenty.-Shepherd's Kalendar.

30. (St David.)

In Belgium it is believed that a branch of elder, placed in a jug of water on this day, will foretell the weather of the ensuing summer and autumn. If the buds develop themselves and open freely, the summer will be fruitful; if the contrary happens, a bad harvest is expected.

31. (St Silvester.)

Silvester Wind, früh Sonnenschein
Bringt selten einen guten Wein.

Le vent qui souffle à l'issue de la messe de minuit sera le vent dominant de l'année.— Vosges.