Cailleach literally means old woman in Gaelic. She is a devine hag, ancestor connected with the creation of the landscape and the weather. In Scotland she is known as Beira, Queen of winter.
On the first of February, Imbolc the Cailleach gathers her firewood for the rest of the winter. Legend says that if it is a bright and sunny day, the Cailleach made it so to gather a lot of firewood to keep herself warm in the coming months. So, if it is a day of foul weather, it means the Cailleach is asleep and will soon run out of firewood, indicating that winter is almost over.
If it is a sunny and bright day, you can be sure winter is far from over yet!
