Yesterday, 13th January, was St Hilary’s Day. St Hilary was a fourth century Bishop of Poitiers in France, and his name comes from the Greek word for “happy” or “cheerful”. The Hilary term in some universities and law courts is named after him.
By tradition, the day is supposed to be the coldest day of the year for northern European countries, and some say the wettest as well, though others reserve that honour to today, 14th January.