Saint Bartholomew's Day

In the seasonal lore Lekh shares with the boy, St. Bartholomew’s Day marks the turning point when the Storks’ stay in the village ends. The day is not presented through a calendar date or ceremony, but through a folk explanation linking a saint’s feast day, the silencing of frogs, and the birds’ departure.

Seasonal Role

Lekh says that the Storks arrive from beyond distant oceans on St. Joseph’s Day and remain in the village until St. Bartholomew drives the frogs into the mud with hop poles. Once the mud plugs the frogs’ mouths, their croaking cannot be heard; unable to locate their prey, the Storks have to leave. St. Bartholomew’s Day thus closes the birds’ seasonal presence through a chain of causes that turns a change in the natural world into a memorable piece of village lore.