is far from boring in Budapest . It is pretty predictable: it can be very hot in the summer, and can theoretically be very cold in the winter; the latter happens every five or six years. In Hungary we celebrate name-days which are usually the feast days of a saint of that name. The name-days of Sándor, József and Benedek fall between March 18th and 21st and, according to the saying, they 'bring the warm weather in their bags'. Indeed this is usually the time when spring allows us to shed our winter topcoats - a good time for a visit too. A really heavy fall of snow is somewhat rare, but it is followed by slush and filthy piles of frozen snow pushed to the edges of the pavement. Dusk falls early in winter, between 3.30 and 4.30 in the afternoon and the sun is rarely seen. However, the other three seasons make up for this. Stormy days total about 30. Summer is warm and temperatures of 30? C (86? Fahrenheit) are by no means unusual. Nevertheless raincoats or umbrellas should not be left behind, especially if it rains on Medárd Day (June 8th). Tradition has it that the next forty days will also bring rain.