Tuesday, September 27, 2011

The Persimmon Lady Strikes Again!

The Persimmon Lady Strikes Again!


One of the most bits of weather lore our readers most frequently ask about is how to predict the severity of the coming winter using persimmon seeds. There’s a long-standing belief that if you cut open a seed and see see knife-shape, it means the coming winter will be cold and icy – so cold that it cuts like a knife – while a spoon-shape indicates you’ll be doing a lot of shoveling. A fork shape means winter will be mild.
For the last few years, Johnsonville, N.C., resident Melissa Bunker – affectionately known as the Persimmon Lady around here – has been reporting her persimmon seed findings. This year, Melissa cut open 10 persimmon seeds and found 10 spoons.
Do you believe that persimmon seeds can predict the weather? Is there some other indicator you use, such as acorns or woolly bear caterpillars? Or do you think the whole thing is a hogwash?

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