Lluvia de Peces

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Lluvia de Peces (Rain of Fish) is a unique phenomenon that has been occurring for more than a century on a yearly basis in the country of Honduras.

1 History and background
2 Explanation
- 2.1 Father Subirana miracle
3 Trivia
4 See also
5 Other References

[edit] History and background

The Rain of Fish is common in Honduran Folklore. It occurs in the Departamento de Yoro, between the months of May and July.

Witnesses of this phenomenon state that it begins with is a dark cloud in the sky followed by lightning, thunder, strong winds and heavy rain for 2 to 3 hours. Once the rain has stopped, hundreds of living fish are found on the ground. People take the fish home to cook and eat them.

Since 1998 a festival known as "Festival de la Lluvia de Peces" (Rain of Fishes Festival) is celebrated every year in the city of Yoro, Departamento de Yoro, Honduras [1].

On July 26, 2006 a Honduran TV news program, Abriendo Brecha made a report about this famous phenomenon, saying that the Rain of Fishes has been occurring twice a year lately.

[edit] Explanation

Although some experts have tried to explain the Rain of Fishes as a natural meteorological phenomenon, the fish are not sea water fish, but fresh water fish; they are not dead, but alive; they are not blind, they have eyes; they are not big fish, but small; and the type of fish is not found elsewhere in the area.

The followings links have articles trying to explain this phenomenon (according to these articles, the fishes comes from the Atlantic ocean -225 kilometers away-).[2], [3].[4]

Some people believe these fish do not fall from the sky as no fish fall on the roof of any house in the district. Instead, they postulate, these fish are fresh-water fish that swim from a nearby river into a subterranean water current. Some of the fish then leave this current and appear on the ground inland. However, most of the fish are not washed inland, as they stay in the water current and later put them back into the river.

There is no proven scientific explanation for this phenomenon.

[edit] Father Subirana miracle

Many people believe this phenomenon occurs because of Father José Manuel Subirana, a Spanish catholic missionary and considered by many to be a Saint. He visited Honduras from 1856-1864, and upon encountering so many poor people, prayed for 3 days and 3 nights asking God for a miracle to help the poor people by providing food. The Rain of Fishes has occurred ever since [5].