* The author is part of the community of readers of La Vanguardia
What does the weather offer us for next year 2024? In La Vanguardia Readers' Photos I am going to teach you this December 31 how to make weather predictions with an onion.
The onion calendar is a meteorological tradition that is practiced in some towns in the Pyrenees. It is based on the observation of the humidity state of the layers of a white onion.
The saying goes that "Ceba de Cap d'Any fa bon averany" (onion at the end of the year is a good omen). And as stated by Josep M. Bartrina in his book La meteorología popular, from 1881, the procedure to follow is as follows:
This prediction is based on the fact that salt (sodium chloride: NaCl) is hygroscopic and removes water from the onion by osmosis. According to tradition, layers that have water mean that the corresponding month will be rainy (the more water, the more rain). If they are dry they will be dry months. If it is dry and wrinkled it means that that month will be dry and hot. Very small droplets indicate snow.
It must be taken into account that this prediction is totally local and must be made with onions grown as closely as possible.
The onion calendar is a popular tradition that has been practiced for centuries. It is not a scientific method, but it has loyal followers who claim that it can be right between eight and 10 months of each year.
In any case, the onion calendar is a fun way to predict the weather.
Happy new year!
