Blackberry winter is a colloquial expression used in

south South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

North America; as well as in Europe, Sinosphere Vietnam and East Asia, referring to a cold snap that often occurs in late spring when the blackberries are in bloom. Other colloquial names for spring cold snaps include "dogwood winter," "whippoorwill winter," "locust winter," and "redbud winter." The different names are based on what is blooming in particular regions during the typical spring cold snaps. Another colloquialism for these spring cold snaps is "linsey-woolsey britches winter," referring to a type of winter long underwear which could be put away after the last cold snap. The blackberry winter term may have arisen to describe the belief that a spring cold snap helps the blackberry canes to start growing. In East Asia and Vietnam, the blackberry winter is known as Miss Ban's Winter ( zh, link=no, 小班冷, vi, Rét Nàng Bân, ko, 꽃샘추위), as it associated with an ancient folk tale of Miss Ban, a young daughter of the

Jade Emperor The Jade Emperor or Yudi ( or , ') in Chinese culture, traditional religions and myth is one of the representations of the first god ( '). In Daoist theology he is the assistant of Yuanshi Tianzun, who is one of the Three Pure Ones, the three ...

who is hard-working but clumsy. She marries a husband, who is also a god, with the hope that she could improve her housework skills. In the winter, she dedicates herself to tailor clothes for her husband, but her clumsiness results in her being unable to finish the job until the end of winter. When she finishes, March has already gone by; thus she misses the winter. She falls down crying, and the Jade Emperor, touched by her will, decides to return the cold for a week to allow her husband to wear the clothes of Miss Ban. Thus, this is known as Miss Ban's Winter. Capricious April

In rural England, the equivalent term is "blackthorn winter", so-called because the blackthorn in hedgerows blossoms in early April, preceding the leaves, and presents an intense white spray against the black branches of the bush. In Finland, where the phenomenon is incredibly common – even in the month of May – the expression to describe it "takatalvi" (lit: back winter; most likely from the word ''takaisin'' 'come back', as in "returning winter") is part of common parlance. "

Blackberry Winter Blackberry winter is a colloquial expression used in Southern United States, south, Midwestern United States, midwest North America; as well as in Europe, Sinosphere Vietnam and East Asia, referring to a cold snap that often occurs in late sprin ...

" is the name of a frequently anthologized short story from 1946 by Robert Penn Warren. It is also the name of a song written by

Edith Lindeman __NOTOC__ Edith Lindeman (March 21, 1898 – December 22, 1984), also known as Edith Elliott Lindeman Calisch, was the film and theater critic for the '' Richmond Times-Dispatch'' from 1933 to 1964. She is best remembered for writing lyrics to po ...

and

Carl Stutz Carl Stutz (died October 8, 1996) was an American composer, radio announcer and teacher. Collaborating with lyricist Edith Lindeman, he wrote the music for several popular songs in the 1950s. His most well-known composition was "Little Things Mean ...

. This became a back-door million-seller as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

of Mitch Miller's recording of The Yellow Rose of Texas, a number 1 hit in the U.S. in 1955. It is also the name of a well-reviewed (if not major) classical/symphonic work by composer Conni Ellisor, and a well-reviewed ballet based on this composition. It is also the name of a song by Alec Wilder and Loonis McGlohon. ''Blackberry Winter'' is also the name of a 2006 short film directed by Brent Stewart about a cannibal clown in the antebellum South. ''Blackberry Winter'' is also the title of the autobiography (1972) of anthropologist Margaret Mead.

Footnotes

Sources

*Millichap, Joseph R. 1992. ''Robert Penn Warren: A Study of the Short Fiction.'' '' Twayne Publishers'', New York. Gordon Weaver, editor. * Warren, Robert Penn. 1983. ''The Circus in the Attic and Other Stories.'' A Harvest Book,

Harcourt Brace & Company Harcourt () was an American publishing firm with a long history of publishing fiction and nonfiction for adults and children. The company was last based in San Diego, California, with editorial/sales/marketing/rights offices in New York City an ...

, New York. {{ISBN , 0-15-618002-2 (paperback). Weather lore Colloquial terms

See also

Footnotes

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