I love rainy days.

Maybe it’s an Irish thing. Maybe it’s because I’m a water sign.

Sunshine is great, and I crave it after winter has seemed so long. I love catching snowflakes on my tongue. But there’s something wonderful about rain.

1. There is a phenomenon, especially in dry places, called virga. It’s streaks of rain that evaporate before they hit the ground. The smell of virga on the Colorado plains one of the best smells on earth.

2. The Croatian word for rain is kiša.

3. This my favorite word for rain because, after all, standing in the rain is like getting a million little kisses on your skin.

4. Kissing in the rain is one of the rare things that lives up to the movie cliche. I highly recommend it.

5. I wish there was a word for the steam that comes up from the pavement when it finally rains at the end of that hottest day of the summer. (And if there is—please tell me or I’m going to make one up. I’m going to call it lillemiste).

6. People often refer to rainy days as something sad or melancholy. These people have never been caught in an afternoon rain in New Orleans. Getting caught in a sudden downpour while walking under magnolia trees, jazz funeral processions in the distance—it’s like being made love to by the spring. It’s why so many perfumers try (and fail) to bottle things called “Spring Rain” or “La Pluie.”

7.

8. Petrichor is the word for the scent when it first rains after a long dry spell. It’s so special, we have a word for it. (There should also be a word for the smell after several days of rain. It’s a mix of earth, leaves and another smell that doesn’t have a name yet).

9. If you never ran around outside naked in a rainstorm as a child, it’s not too late to try it. (Everyone should do it at least once. Or once a year. Or once a rainstorm).

10. Umbrellas were invented to use as shelter from the sun. I think they are adorable, but highly overrated. If it’s a light rain, you don’t really need one. If it’s a downpour, it won’t really help. Mine sits in my closet.

11. Wellies on the other hand are indispensable, especially if you like splashing in puddles. (Grownups can do it too. Why should kids have all the fun?).

12. Taking a nap on a rainy afternoon with all the windows open so the patter can be your lullaby is one of life’s greatest pleasures.

13. There are thirteen different words for rain in Italian. My favorite is pioviggine, which mean a light drizzle. Who wouldn’t want to walk in the pioviggine in Montepulciano and be caressed by the beautiful mist?

14. April Rain Song:

~ Langston Hughes

15. Of the last two weeks, I think we’ve had ten days of rain. It looks likely to start back up again. While part of me is glad to be flying somewhere warmer—and drier—tomorrow, I’m still thankful for the rain.

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