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  What it means

  “Saint Joseph nods his beard, the cold goes down with water.” A weather proverb for Saint Joseph’s Day (19 March): if the weather turns, expect cold rain or snowmelt.

  Vocabulary

  • kiwnąć — to nod, to give a sign
  • broda — beard
  • zimno — cold
  • woda — water

  Grammar note

  'Kiwnie' is the perfective future third-person singular of 'kiwnąć'. 'Brodą' is the instrumental of 'broda'. 'Na dół' means 'downward'.

  Cultural context

  Saint Joseph's Day (19 March) is close to the spring equinox and was watched carefully by Polish farmers as a sign of the coming season.

  Intermediate

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