THE BLACKBIRD DAYS IN ITALY

The Coldest Days of The Year

In Italy, at the end of January, there are the so-called 3 days of the MERLA (mother blackbird would be the perfect translation in this case).

These days are generally, the last three of January, the 29th, 30th, and the 31st. They are called this way because a legend says that a mother blackbird with her chicks, because of extremely cold weather, had to hide in a CAMINO – chimney – but the soot made her turn greyish and black.

Since I was a kid, and they told me this story, that most of the Italians know, I wait for the 3 days of the Merla in the winter to greet the upcoming Spring, which is arriving soon. 

The Beginning of a New Season

The reason why I’m always so happy during the days of the MERLA is simple: in some way, it would be the end of winter for me and the beginning of warmer days. And nowadays, still, as an adult, I see this period as the starting of a new season after the hard and coldest winter days.

The Origin of the Blackbird Legend

The origin of this legend is wrapped in a mystery, and it is not easy to place it in a specific century. 

But it is really curious, and funny in some way, is that blackbird days can be a thermometer of the weather which is going to come: if these days are cold the spring season will arrive in the correct moment, otherwise, Spring will show up pretty late during the year.

This Year is Bit Too Warm

Actually, this year is too warm in Florence, and this is not good at all. The global warming is terrible but I will talk about it in my next article: this is such a complicated and difficult subject and issue that it deserves a very good and deepened article.