Saints de Glace

The Ice Saints are those whose fêtes are on 11, 12 and 13 May. There is a saint for every day in France, and the saints for these particular dates are Saint Mamert, Saint Pancrace and Saint Servais. These are old saints, now desanctified and replaced by new Vatican approved saints, but there is much to be said for the agricultural tradition associated with the Saints de Glace. Farmers and gardeners watch the skies warily in May, because hail can damage seedlings and burgeoning fruit, and if the skies are clear frost is the enemy. In the old days, of course, one hail storm or a very deep frost could easily spell the difference between living well and living on the edge for a year. These days, it can still really affect a a producer's income. This year in our part of the Sud Touraine we haven't had any significant hail, but we have had a couple of very sharp rain storms. It's been a month since the last frosts, but that's no cause for complacency.

Looking at the skies last night I'm betting there won't be a frost.

According to Metro France on two years out of three there is a significant cold spell after the Saints de Glace