14 April
First Cuckoo Day
In Sussex, England, April 14 is officially known as First Cuckoo Day and heralds the arrival of Spring. It is believed that those who hear the first cuckoo cry will be blessed with good luck and good fortune for the rest of the year. Over the years, there has been a good deal of light-hearted rivalry surrounding the question of where and when the first cuckoo will be heard. Many omens are drawn from the first call heard: lucky if to your right, unlucky if to your left or behind you or if you have not yet eaten. If you have money in your pocket at the time you will have plenty all year (especially if you turn to the right and jingle it), but if not, you will stay poor. If you are in bed, this foreshadows an illness; if you are standing on grass, you will have good fortune.
One popular custom among 19th-century workmen was to stop work upon hearing the first cuckoo, claim the day as a holiday, and go off to drink ale or beer outdoors to welcome the bird.
The cuckoo’s habit of laying its eggs in the nests of other birds explains why its cry was regarded, in medieval times, as mocking the cuckold husbands-they would have to bring up another man’s child. In some areas, the cuckoo was associated with stupidity and in northern dialects `gowk’ means both cuckoo and fool.
Source
Celebrating Wiccan Spirituality
Spells, Sacred Rites and Folklore for Each Day of the Year
Lady Sabrina
Witches Of The Craft® 