Village Saying of the Month: Why "Manure" Keeps Falling on Our Heads This March!

(Yes, this may be a cheeky reference to a rather famous song about raindrops…)

Here in the countryside, we do love a good traditional saying.

In the UK, “In like a lion, out like a lamb” (or sometimes the reverse!) is the classic go-to phrase for March weather. So naturally, we wondered if the French had similar little nuggets of weather wisdom to get them through the changing seasons.

It turns out they do—and it all starts in the vineyards.

The Secret Meaning Behind « Pluie de mars vaut fumier »

If you have stepped outside lately, you'll know we have had almost non-stop rain. But before you let the grey skies get you down, let's take a look at a local vineyard favourite that puts a very positive spin on the downpours.

« Pluie de mars vaut fumier. »

• Literal Translation: March rain is worth manure.

• The Actual Meaning: Rain in March is excellent for crops and vines.

It sounds rather alarming at first—until you realise you’re not actually about to be knee-deep in the doo-doo! It is a deeply agricultural saying, which makes perfect sense for our rural corner of the world.

What This Means for This Year's Wine Harvest

As we all know, our local vignerons (winemakers) are far more interested in quality over quantity.

Because March has been so incredibly wet, the soil is getting exactly what it needs to nourish the vines for the months ahead. If this old French wisdom holds true, we can expect some truly great things from this year’s Vendange (grape harvest). Cheers to that! 🍷

We will be bringing you more of these wonderful French sayings as their relevant months roll around.

💬 Over to you: Do you know a traditional weather saying for March—whether from France, the UK, or anywhere else in the world? Share it with us in the comments below! We’re building quite the collection.

Jen x