Since we go through January, you surely have noticed that there is a period during which the weather reminds us that we are in spring as someone would say. It makes you want to get out of the house and enjoy the sun taking a walk in a park maybe, drinking your coffee in the open and why not eating an ice cream!
But, did you know why these sunny days appear just in the middle of the winter, when it was supposed to be cold and rain and snow? Well, there is an explanation, but it has its roots in the Greek mythology. There is also a scientifical explanation that we will mention and moreover, we will make it even more pleasant as we will teach you some Romanian language by offering some Romanian vocabulary and expressions with the English translation. So, what’s better than a private Romanian lesson only for you combined with some interesting Greek mythology and some science!
period = perioadă
weather = vreme
house = casă
sun = soare
a walk in a park = o plimbare într-un parc
coffee = cafea
ice cream = înghețată
sunny days = zile insorite
cold = rece, frig
rain = ploaie
snow = zăpadă
explanation = explicaţie
Greek mythology = Mitologia greacă
translation = traducere
science = ştiinţă
Alkyon days are those days of winter during which good weather prevails with intense sunshine, without clouds and winds and sometimes with high temperatures for the season. These days appear from December 15 to February 15 each year, and most often between January 16-31. Their name has ancient Greek origins and is attributed to Aristotle.
cloud = nor
wind = vânt
high temperature = temperatura ridicată
sometimes = uneori
season = anotimp
between = între
origins = origine
The Alkyonides (kingfisher birds) got their name from the sea bird Alkyoni in Greek or better from the homonymous star (Alkyon of the Pleiades) that bears the name of the bird. These days the star Alkyon is in the middle of the afternoon, which means that on the nights of January it is at the highest point (zenith) of the celestial dome. This natural phenomenon gave the name Alkyonides to all consecutive days that this star is visible at the top of the dome.
name = nume
bird = pasăre
star = stea
afternoon = după – amiază
the highest point = punctul cel mai înalt
Although there is a scientific explanation, there are few myths about the phenomenon of alkyon days. According to the prevailing one, Alkyoni, daughter of Aeolus, was a beautiful woman who was married to Kyikas. In fact, their marriage was so perfect that they both believed that they were equal to the Gods. Then Zeus, in order to punish their arrogance, sank Kyikas’ ship and left him to drown. Alcyone mourned the loss of her husband so much that Zeus took pity on her and transformed her into a beautiful bird, which was doomed to lay its eggs in winter. Thus, the raging waves rushed to the rocks and destroyed the nest and the eggs of the Kingfisher.
myth = mit
phenomenon = fenomen
daughter = fiică
beautiful woman = femeie frumoasă
marriage = căsătorie
arrogance = aroganţă
ship = navă
husband = soțul
egg = ou
wave = val
rocks = stâncă
nest = cuib
Then Zeus took pity on her once more and ordered the winds to stop and the sun to shine for fifteen days in the heart of winter so that the Kingfisher could lay her eggs.
Meteorological phenomenon or product of mythology, whatever it is, the alkyonides days offer us up to two whole weeks of sunshine and warmth in the middle of winter.
once more = încă o data
product = produs
week = săptămână
warmth = căldură
in the middle of winter = în mijlocul iernii