Chere we are, the calendar marks the end of January and, punctual like clockwork, Italy’s oldest meteorological catchphrase restarts. Yes, because 29, 30 and 31 January have represented the beating heart of popular winter for centuries, being the so-called Merla Days, the coldest days of the year. And actually, this year compared to other years in the past, tradition and weather forecasts seem to go curiously hand in handalbeit with some nuances.
Merla Days 2026: why they are called that, weather forecast
Let’s start, however, from the beginning. The origin of the name is rooted in an era in which nature was the only way to explain the world. The most beloved legend tells of a white-colored blackbird that was continually targeted by a spiteful January. At the time, according to the myth, January was only 28 days old and he spent his time tormenting the poor creature. Every time the little bird tried to look for food, the month unleashed sudden storms and made the puddles freeze right under its beak.
The millennial challenge between the blackbird and January
Exhausted from being the target of these attacks, the blackbird decided to make fun of winter: he stockpiled supplies and hid for the whole month. On the twenty-eighth day, thinking he had won the challenge, he came out of the nest singing joyfully. But January, feeling humiliated, he did not accept defeat and asked to borrow three days in February to launch the final attack with a cold never seen before. To avoid freezing to death under that bombardment of ice, the blackbird was forced to take refuge in the chimney of a fireplace. He finally emerged safe on February 1stbut transformed forever: the soot had dyed his feathers jet black, the same color that his descendants still wear today.
Why are the final three days of January called blackbird days? Popular belief explains it (Getty)
A historical variant between rivers and cannons
Alongside the fable there is a more historical explanation: that of the cannon nicknamed “La Merla”. It is said that, in the eighteenth century, a nobleman had to transport this very heavy weapon across the Po to bring it to Cremona, an important strategic and military center at the time, but no boat could support its weight.
It was necessary to wait for the extreme frost at the end of January to transform the river into a sheet of ice so thick as to allow the soldiers to drag the cannon by hand to the opposite bank. The feat succeeded on January 31stconsecrating those days as the coldest of the year. which at the time was an important strategic and military center.
What the forecasts say for 2026
While in recent years the tradition had been somewhat “betrayed” by excessively mild winters, 2026 seems to want to honor folklore. The analyzes of the European Meteorological Center indicate, in fact, the arrival of a polar air mass just before January 29thwhich will squeeze Italy between a vortex of low pressure and cold currents. They are also indicated heavy snowfall in the Alps and a sharp drop in temperatures in the city. If confirmed, therefore, these predictions could make the Blackbird Days not just just a name on the calendar, but truly the coldest of the season, just as legend has it.
The thermometer as a glass ball for spring
These days, it should be remembered that beyond folklore, they are very important for those who make a living from agriculture. According to peasant tradition, in fact, blackbird days are a sort of predictive test. If the three days are frosty, spring will be mild and come early. However, if temperatures remain high, spring will be late in appearing, bringing with it a rainy and cold March. Taking a look at the thermometers for this 2026, which show decidedly low values throughout the country, there are excellent hopes for a sunny and punctual awakening of nature.
How to survive the peak of the cold
Although global warming is a central theme of our times, these episodes of intense cold are very important that they exist. In fact, they remain fundamental for the balance of the ecosystemas they help eliminate parasites harmful to plants and guarantee water reserves in the mountains in the form of snow. The advice is therefore not to complain too much, but to enjoy the atmosphere, perhaps in front of a hot chocolate, remembering that, once the “blackbird” has been overcome, the finish line of the summer is now within reach.