“Step on a spider and it will surely bring rain” & 14 more Rain Myths

Artist extraordinaire James Grasdal is putting the finishing touches on the 13^th book in the Superman Duffy comic series—MYTHCONCEPTIONS. Which, you may have guessed has a little something to do with common “myths.” I love myths! So for this year’s A to Z Blogging Challenge, I’m going to “bust” as many of them as I can—every day (except Sundays) on the blog, throughout April.

Not familiar with the A to Z Challenge? Get the detailshere, and then hang on, because I’m about to blow your mind with my myth-inspired posts. P.S. Comment on the blogs throughout the month for a chance to WIN a complete set of the Superman Duffy comics, including lucky #13, MYTHCONCEPTIONS.)

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MYTH: Step on a spider and it will surely bring rain.  

Ever since my sister decided she wants to be an entomologist—aka: bug expert—when she grows up, “stepping” on spiders is absolutely forbidden in our family. Amelia thinks she’s saving the world one creepy arachnid at a time or something. <shiver>

But even if that wasn’t a strict rule—enforced by our parents, even—stepping on a spider won’t necessarily bring rain. Any bad weather is a result of consequence, not insects. But I can see how in some situations, people will grasp at any “myth” to bring on a storm, like crop farmers faced with drought.

I don’t know about where you live, but here in Alberta, some parts of the province are experiencing record high temperatures. In April! (Most years, we still have snow on the ground!)  And while it’s probably too early to start doing a rain dance (another superstition that isn’t based in fact, by the way), my grandparents are a bit concerned that we’re in for a hot, hot summer. That’s not necessarily great for farmers.

So, although I know none of these “rain” myths are scientifically proven…and some are just plain weird…maybe they’re worth believing in, at least a little. Check out this mind boggling list of rain myths:

• If a dog eats grass, it will rain.
• When a cow tries to scratch her ear, a storm is near.
• A peacock calling is an omen of rain.
• Whitecaps on a pond or river foretell of rain.
• A halo around the moon brings rain.
• A fair sunset on Friday night means rain before Monday.
•  If it rains on Easter Day, it will rain 7 days after.
• If a cat sneezes, it’s going to rain.
• When crickets chirp louder than usual, it will rain.
• No dew in the morning indicates rain.
• When bees stay close to their hives, it’s going to rain.
• If the chickens come out during a rain, it will be a long soaking storm.
• Froth along the edge of streams means rain. 

And this is just scraping the surface! Can you add any more rain myths to this list?

Time for me to go, but tomorrow I’m back with an “S” post as we start winding down the #AtoZChallenge. Whoot! I can’t believe we’re almost done. How many of the other blogs have YOU visited?

~ Chase Superman Duffy