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  What it means

  “As Saint Ursula’s day is, so will the whole winter be.” The weather on 21 October (feast of Saint Ursula) predicts the character of the coming winter. A sunny Ursula means a mild winter; a cold one means a harsh winter.

  Vocabulary

  • Urszula — Ursula (saint's name, 21 October)
  • jaki — what kind, as (correlative)
  • cały — whole, entire
  • zima — winter
  • taki — such, so (correlative)

  Grammar note

  A correlative structure: 'jaki … taki …' (as … so …). Both adjectives agree with their respective nouns in gender and case.

  Cultural context

  Saint Ursula's feast day (21 October) is one of many name-day weather markers in the Polish folk calendar, used by farmers to anticipate the winter season.

  Beginner

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