Each year, as the cold weather of February winds down and the freezing glory of March arrives, I pull my coat tighter, crank up the heat, and repeat the same proverb: March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. That means no matter how snowy and subzero and generally miserable the weather is on March 1st, one can take comfort that come April Fool’s Day, those chapped lipped days are–for the most part–behind us.
But where did this oft-cited “lion and lamb” phrase come from? In my own weird wanderings across the land, the usual explanation arrives courtesy of astrology. Specifically, at the beginning of the month, the horizon constellation is Leo whereas by the end of March, it’s Aries. That means we go from the lion to the ram. And since rams are often deemed a tad bit aggressive, it makes sense that the idiom-coiners would probably want something a little sweeter for their saying. So lamb it is!
Still, astrology isn’t the only possible explanation. Some old superstition dictates that the weather must ultimately come into an equilibrium. Thus, the winter tempest has to balance out eventually, and when’s a better time than around the spring equinox? But that’s not all. Biblical scholars might cite references to sacrificial lambs and the Lion of Judah and argue religious imagery played into which animals were selected. As it usually goes with folklore, there are too many choices and too little evidence.
What’s known for certain is the wisdom of “the lion and lamb” migrated from its homeland of Europe and settled sometime in the 18th or 19th century here in the United States. These days, this saying is said to be more common in certain areas of America than others, particularly here in my home state of Pennsylvania (though I can attest to hearing it growing up in Ohio as well).
So, dear Wanderlust and Lipstick readers, I turn this back to you. Is the axiom, “In like a lion and out like a lamb,” a regional thing? Or have you heard it too, no matter where you might roam? Let me know in the comments below!
Happy haunting, and happy (almost) spring!
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons