Come "the days of the blackbird"

Start today the famous days of the blackbird, which is said to be the last three days of January 29, 30 and 31 considered the coldest days of winter. There are several versions of why they call it so, the most famous legend is this: a blackbird and her chicks, originally white, to shelter from the cold these days took shelter in the heat of a chimney, and only came out on February 1 when the cold was decreased but completely blacks for smoking, and since then the blackbirds were blacks. There is also another variant of this legend a little more fabulous than the last. A long time ago in January was only 28 days and liked to scramble the birds, in particular grudge against a poor blackbird much envied for its white plumage, as white as snow, and so when he went out of the nest to find food January we amused to unleash wind and snow for all scompigliarla. The blackbird annoyed one day he asked if he could January last January but a little less amused rather sarcastically replied that he could not because the calendar said it was supposed to last 28 days. The blackbird so infuriated the following year he decided to play a trick and made a large supply of food that lasted throughout the month thus remaining heat of his nest. When he came out, after 28 days, she enjoyed teasing January and then went all gloating looking for food. January, however, angry strokes to borrow in February, his brother, 3 days and broke wind, cold and a blizzard that lasted for 3 days and the poor blackbird meanwhile was forced to take refuge in a chimney to try a little bit of warmth but when I came out after 3 days was now completely black with soot and since then the blackbirds have become all blacks. As with all legends and folk traditions there is always an element of truth, in fact in the Roman calendar had 29 days in January then over time become 31.
These two versions are added depending on the many other cities and regions, Milan also has one of her own about a family of blackbirds for protection from the cold of winter blackbird while dad was out hunting for food they built the nest under the eaves of a building in New Gate, and when the father blackbird came back with the food after 3 days hardly recognized his little family because in the meantime had become all blacks for smoking. And so on, depending on local traditions, however, what does not change is the gist of the story, namely that the blackbirds once whites to blacks then became the soot of a fireplace, with variations here and there.
According to tradition, these three days are also indicative of how the weather in the spring, if you are very cold then the spring will be warm and beautiful but if the days of the blackbird are hot spring will wait.
Small remark zoological, it is actually the male blackbird to be glossy black with orange-yellow beak and eyelids, the blackbird is brownish beak included with the bottom slightly clearer and more like her are also young people who can be recognized by the female for a light speckling of the feathers. Perhaps think about it the legend is not so wrong, I've never entered a chimney to the test, but perhaps remaining within 3 days did not come out shiny blacks but rather probably smoked and brownish ... I am reminded to example, some old pictures of the old craft of the chimney sweep. Who knows, perhaps unknowingly then the blackbird was the first sweeps of history!