If the branch blossoms.....

Feast of St. Lucy: Św. Łucji  December 13.

During the  ancient times of the Julian calendar, December 13 was celebrated as the winter solstice, the official beginning of winter, marked by being the shortest day of the year and the longest night of the year. From then on, the days slowly become longer and the nights shorter.  In 1582, when Pope Gregory the XIII changed the calendar to what we now know as the Gregorian calendar, the date of the winter solstice was changed to December 23.

In today's times we recognize December 13 as the feast of St. Lucy, a third century martyr, who dedicated her virginity to God and died a terrible death when she refused to marry. Remnants of  the old Julian calendar still remain in some old Polish proverbs, passed on orally through the generations,  as in :

" Swięta Łucja dnia przyrzuca. "The day(light) arrives  with St. Lucy.

 and

 "Święto Łuci noc króci."  St. Lucy shortens the night.

Perhaps the ancient celebration of the return of longer days, of light and increased sun, critical for bringing life back to trees and plants necessary for life accounts for this particular Polish custom:

On the day before the feast of St. Lucy, the girls place a branch of a cherry tree  in a bottle filled with water and keep it in the window up to Christmas day. If the branch is covered in blossoms by this day, she will shortly marry.  If not, she will remain single for a while yet.( Stanislaw Ciszewski. Lud Rolniczo-górniczy z okolic Sławkowa Powiecie Olkuskim. Kraków.1887) For others not looking for marriage prognostications, the blooms signify good luck and prosperity.

The success and failure of crops were (and still are!) so weather dependent that the day was also used to foretell future weather such as in the proverb:

"Święta Łucja głosi, jaką pogodę styczeń przynosi." St. Lucy announces what the weather will be in January.
 
The twelve days, beginning with the Feast of St. Lucy on December 13 until December 24, were carefully noted for each of those twelve days predicted what the weather will be throughout the upcoming twelve months of the year.
 
The feast day also officially marked the beginning of preparation for Christmas in earnest. 

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