Pancake Day

It's Shrove Tuesday today, the traditional feast day to use all the eggs and fats in the larder before the penitential season of Lent starts on the following day... Ash Wednesday.  Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter.

When I was growing up in England, Mum always made pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Day. I don't mean the thick fluffy flapjack style that are eaten in North America with bacon and sausage and maple syrup. When I first arrived in Canada, I always thought that particular taste combination was very strange, however I quite like it now. Perhaps I'm used to it.

The pancakes that Mum made were very thin and light and lacy, just a little bit crinkled and browned on both sides. Once on the plate, the pancake was sprinkled with caster sugar and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and then rolled up, and always eaten in rolled slices. So good, I remember licking the plate!

The pancake has a very long history and featured in cookery books as far back as 1439. The tradition of tossing or flipping them is almost as old: “And every man and maide doe take their turne, And tosse their Pancakes up for feare they burne.” (Pasquil’s Palin, 1619).

In Britain, pancake races form an important part of the Shrove Tuesday celebrations – an opportunity for large numbers of people, often in fancy dress, to race down streets tossing pancakes. The object of the race is to get to the finishing line first, carrying a frying pan with a cooked pancake in it and flipping the pancake as you run. Possibly Mr. Covid will put a stop to the pancake races in 2021!

Candlemas

I have to admit that this is a rehashing of a post from a couple of years ago..... but always worth another look, especially as I haven't much else to offer during this lockdown when I seem to the confined to the house every day with no excitement to report.

Today is February 2nd..... 40 days after Christmas. The ancient celebration of Candlemas.

Candlemas is a Christian holy day commemorating the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. Some Christian communities bring candles to church, where the candles are blessed and then used for the rest of the year.

In France and Belgium, crepes or thin pancakes are a traditional Candlemas treat. Each family member cooks a pancake while holding a coin in the other hand, thus ensuring wealth and happiness for the next year. The pancakes are round and golden in colour, and are a symbol of the return of spring sunshine after a cold winter.

In Mexico, the presentation of Jesus in the Temple is celebrated with family meals of tamales. Whoever finds the bean in the king-cake at Christmastime is responsible for cooking the Candlemas tamales for the whole family.

There's a theory that Candlemas derives from pagan celebrations as it occurs halfway between the December solstice and the March equinox, winter's halfway point while waiting for spring.

Many people believed that Candlemas Day predicted the weather for the rest of the winter. A bright sunny Candlemas meant more winter to come, and a cloudy wet stormy Candlemas meant that the worst of the winter was over. This is the basis for the February 2nd tradition of North America.... Groundhog Day. Will the groundhog see his shadow? I wonder.......

If Candlemas Day brings snow and rain,

Winter has gone, and won’t come again.

If Candlemas Day be clear and bright,

Winter will have another flight.

or another version....

If Candlemas Day be fair and bright
Winter will have another fight.
If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain,
Winter won't come again.

Michaelmas Day

Today is Michaelmas Day.... the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, celebrated on 29 September.   Saint Michael is the patron saint of the sea and maritime lands, of ships and boatmen, of horses and horsemen. Traditionally he was the Angel who hurled Lucifer (the devil) down from Heaven for his treachery. 

Michaelmas is one the four quarter days in each year on which servants were hired, school terms started, and rents were due.  The quarter days have been observed at least since the Middle Ages, and they ensured that debts and unresolved lawsuits were not allowed to linger on. Accounts had to be settled, a reckoning had to be made and publicly recorded on the quarter days.

And as the Autumn Equinox happened just a couple of days ago,  here are some Autumn colours. The reds, golds, yellows and purples.... a beautiful time of the year.

St. George's Day

Today, April 23, is St George's Day.

Saint George is the brave soldier in the Roman army who slayed (slew?) the Dragon, and here he is in a Miniature from a Passio Sancti Georgii manuscript (Verona, second half of 13th century).

Did he really slay a Dragon? Maybe. It's a good story related to the conflict between light and darkness, good and evil.

The fearsome Dragon demanded human sacrifices and brave Saint George came along just in time to save the princess who had been chosen as the next offering. The King offered George treasures as a reward for saving his daughter, but George gave the wealth to the poor, who were so grateful that they all became Christians. But George was tortured and lost his head during the persecution of Christians in 303AD, thus becoming a Saint.

The warrior Saint George has been the subject of legend since the 7th Century, and became a Patron Saint of the Order of the Garter in 1348. He was promoted to the Patron Saint of England in the middle 1500s. The Cross of St. George (red cross on a white background) is the basis of the Union Jack flag. 

Lady Day

You may recall this post from a previous year.... but I thought you'd like the reminder.
Today - March 25 - is Lady Day. 
It's one of the four Quarter Days of the old English Calendar. 

The Quarter Days are March 25 - Lady Day, also the Feast of the Annunciation in the Christian calendar; June 24 - Midsummer Day, also the Feast of St John the Baptist; September 29 - Michaelmas Day, also the Feast of St Michael and All Angels; December 25 - Christmas Day.

Quarter days were the four dates in each year when servants were hired, school terms started, and rents were due. Debts and unresolved lawsuits were not allowed to linger on, and accounts had to be settled. Leasehold payments and land rents are often still due on the old English Quarter Days. 

Just to confuse the issue, there are also four Cross-Quarter Days falling between the Quarter Days. These are February 2 - Candlemas;  May 1 - May Day;  August 1 - Lammas;  November 1 - All Hallows Day.

Lady Day was the traditional day when long-term contracts between landowners and tenant farmers would begin and end. Farming families who were changing farms would often travel to their new farm on Lady Day. It roughly coincides with the Spring Equinox, signifying a new beginning.

So have a Happy Lady Day!!

Candlemas

Today is February 2nd..... 40 days after Christmas. The ancient celebration of Candlemas.

Candlemas is a Christian holy day commemorating the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. Some Christian communities bring candles to church, where the candles are blessed and then used for the rest of the year.

In France and Belgium, crepes or thin pancakes are a traditional Candlemas treat. Each family member cooks a pancake while holding a coin in the other hand, thus ensuring wealth and happiness for the next year. The pancakes are round and golden in colour, and are a symbol of the return of spring sunshine after a cold winter.

In Mexico, the presentation of Jesus in the Temple is celebrated with family meals of tamales. Whoever finds the bean in the king-cake at Christmastime is responsible for cooking the Candlemas tamales for the whole family.

There's a theory that Candlemas derives from pagan celebrations as it occurs halfway between the December solstice and the March equinox, winter's halfway point while waiting for spring.

Many people believed that Candlemas Day predicted the weather for the rest of the winter. A bright sunny Candlemas meant more winter to come, and a cloudy wet stormy Candlemas meant that the worst of the winter was over. This is the basis for the February 2nd tradition of North America.... Groundhog Day. Will the groundhog see his shadow? I wonder.......

If Candlemas Day be fair and bright
Winter will have another fight.
If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain,
Winter won't come again.

The Oxen

There`s an ancient tradition that the beasts of the field kneel at midnight on Christmas Eve to honour the birth of Christ in a lowly stable. British novelist and poet Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) told the story of Christmas Eve in his poem `The Oxen`written in 1915.

I learned this poem when I was at school, and it has always meant Christmas Eve to me, and I wonder if the animals really do kneel at midnight. I`ve never looked. I don`t want to be disappointed.

The Oxen

Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.

“Now they are all on their knees,”

An elder said as we sat in a flock

By the embers in hearthside ease.

We pictured the meek mild creatures where

They dwelt in their strawy pen,

Nor did it occur to one of us there

To doubt they were kneeling then.

So fair a fancy few would weave

In these years! Yet, I feel,

If someone said on Christmas Eve,

“Come; see the oxen kneel,

“In the lonely barton by yonder coomb

Our childhood used to know,”

I should go with him in the gloom,

Hoping it might be so.

Český Krumlov - Czech Republic

Back to my summer trip to Europe! We only had one afternoon to explore the ancient city of Český Krumlov which is a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Czech Republic. Luck was on our side as when we arrived, it was the day of the annual Five Petalled Rose Festival. What better day to see it!

The old medieval town was alive with craftsmen, artists, musicians, jugglers, and local people dressed in costumes from the Middle Ages. Various activities such as jousting, fencing, historical dance performances, and folk theatre take place at the castle and in the town square.

Construction of the town and castle began in the late 13th century at a ford in the Vltava River. Most of the architecture of the old town and castle dates from the 14th through 17th centuries.

 Between the wars Český Krumlov was part of Czechoslovakia. During the Communist era, the old town fell into disrepair, but since 1989, it has been restored and is a major tourist destination now.

A choir were singing folk songs on a stage set up in Svornosti Square. The townspeople were all joining in heartily. There on the wall is the Five Petalled Rose, the symbol of the Rosenberg (Rožmberk) family who ruled the town for 300 years from 1302 to 1602.

It was lunchtime and our tummies were rumbling, so rather than sit at a restaurant, we decided to eat on our feet.... buying cheese and bread from the market stalls that had been set up around the square. I have no idea what kind of cheese I bought, I just pointed and it was delicious!

 So we shared these fruit pie slices... and they were so good that we went back for a second slice. A bit like jammy pizza.

The local townspeople were dressed in medieval costumes and this handsome chap was quite happy to have his picture taken. The costumes were very elaborate and looked really authentic. I didn't ask him what he was smoking in that pipe, perhaps I should have.

This family told us that they spent all winter researching, designing and creating their costumes. Both the husband and the wife worked on cutting and sewing the fabric. They made everything that they were wearing, except the shoes!

This splendidly attired group of medieval beauties were happy to pose for my camera. I wanted to thank them for the photo, but when I reached into my backpack, the red haired lady shouted "No No" and something very fast in Czech..... she thought I wanted to pay them. Then I handed her a Canada flag souvenir pin, my last one..... we all laughed! No language problems when there are lots of smiles.

Yes, those are dark storm clouds above the castle walls. We got drenched on the way back to the coach park and then made our way to our next destination, Prague. More about our trip to come... when I get round to it!

Michaelmas Day

Today, September 29, is Michaelmas Day, also known as the Feast of Michael and All Angels.

There are traditionally four “quarter days” in a year (Lady Day (25th March), Midsummer Day (24th June), Michaelmas Day (29th September) and Christmas Day (25th December)). They are spaced three months apart, on religious festivals, usually close to the solstices or equinoxes. 

The quarter days were the four dates on which servants were hired, rents became due or leases begun. It was said that harvest had to be completed by Michaelmas, marking of the end of the productive season and the beginning of the new cycle of farming, land was exchanged and debts were paid. Michaelmas came to be the traditional time for electing magistrates and also the beginning of legal and university terms.

Roast goose is the traditional Michaelmas dinner. It was believed that dining on a well fattened goose fed on the stubble from the fields after the harvest guarded against financial need in the family for the next year. Or possibly because Queen Elizabeth I was eating goose when news of the defeat of the Spanish Armada was brought to her. In celebration she said that henceforth she would always eat goose on Michaelmas Day.  

More of the traditions of Michaelmas Day can be found here, here, and here.

So get rid of your debts, hire your servants, pay your rent, roast a well fattened goose, and enjoy Michaelmas Day!

Venice 2

Our second day in Venice was a bit rainy and pleasantly cool. I'll take damp cool weather any day over HOT and steamy!

We took the No. 1  vaporetto from San Marco all the way along the Grand Canal to Piazzale Roma. The water bus stops at 20 stations on it's way along the Canal..... the main local bus route through Venice.

The stone Rialto Bridge, Ponti de Rialto, has spanned the Grand Canal since 1591. But the bridge you see here is an image of the bridge on a construction cover, the actual bridge is undergoing some repair and renovation. 

The gondolas are traditional flat bottom rowing boats. Venice law says that all gondolas are painted black, and there are over 400 of them in active service carrying tourists. Gondoliers have to go through a long apprenticeship before earning one of the 425 gondolier licenses. 
Venice approved it's first woman gondolier in 2010.

Is Venice sinking? Lots of people think it is. The city has it's origins on swampy islands in the middle of a lagoon. Recent studies show that sea levels are rising, and the city is subsiding ever so gradually. One study says the city is sinking 3 to 4 cm per century, another study says 10 cm.
Better visit Venice while it's still there!

No Mafia! Venice is sacred!

More pictures to come.
If you have visited Venice, please leave me a comment and tell me about it.

Rabbits!

What was the first word that came out of your mouth this morning? Before you even got yourself out of that nice warm bed?

If it was "Rabbits" or "Rabbits Rabbits" or even "White Rabbits" you have ensured good luck for the rest of this month.

It's the first day of March today. When I was a child, I always remembered to say "Rabbits" as soon as I opened my eyes on the first morning of every month. My mum and dad said it too. There are various versions of this superstition. Mum used to say "White rabbits" on the first of January, then "Rabbits" for the next eleven months. And my cousin says you have to say it while looking at the moon.

Why? Many theories. The rabbit or hare was a sacred animal, and perhaps people paid homage on the start of the lunar month, when a rabbit image may be seen in the full moon. A ritual left over from pagan days.

Anyone else mutter "Rabbits" sleepily to themselves this morning? I did. It may only be a superstition but I like to be on the safe side of Fate.

Bookworm

I've always loved books.
My mum told me I could read a book from cover to cover at 3 years old. I'm not sure that's completely true. Just the feel and look of a book and the act of turning the pages as I read makes me happy. One of those electronic book readers doesn't have the same qualities.
When I moved house recently, I donated loads of books to the annual Library Book Sale, but I kept all the precious ones.

Above: The top two shelves of my bookcase. A collection of books, mostly obtained from used book stores, junk shops or Ebay purchases. The main topic? The history, geography and legends of my home county in England, Devon, and the West Country in general. And photos of course. My mother and her three sisters, Callum when he was a baby, and YoungerSon's wedding. And a tiny half timbered house from Alsace, a gift from The Equestrienne's sister who lives in France. Click to enlarge.

Above: the next two shelves of my bookcase. Books about Newfoundland, Egypt, Australia, New Zealand... some of my favourite places to travel. Top shelf on the far right.... two school projects I wrote about Canada when I was about thirteen. Books about quilts, stained glass, Shakespeare, photography. Bottom shelf on the right.... my collection of Rupert books.

Many years ago, my dad told me that he was the model for one of the characters in the boys adventure story book Devon Boys.
Victorian author George Manville Fenn (1831 - 1909) wrote this Tale of the North Shore in 1886 when my father was four years old, so it's unlikely that Dad was actually a model for the boys in the book, however, he had three older brothers who would have been close to the right ages. The story is definitely set in the area both my dad and I grew up, and my dad used to tell a story of boys playing with gunpowder with an unfortunate outcome, and a similar incident occurs in the book.
I wanted to find a copy of Devon Boys for each of my sons and I haunted used book shops and junk shops for years with no luck. Then one day I noticed a battered copy squeezed between old books on a shelf at an antique market. How much? Only $5.00. SOLD! Oooh! Such excitement! Finding the prize after searching for so long.... woohoo!
If the seller had known how long I had been searching for that book, he would have charged me more than double.
Now there are three copies of the book on my bookshelf. And if I come across another one, I'll probably buy it. I can't stop myself now.

England Part III - Lynmouth to Combe Martin - 12 miles, maybe more

I have to admit it. We cheated. But only a little bit.
We got a ride from the kind man at the B&B in Lynmouth to take us part way to Combe Martin. He dropped us off on the Coast Path a little past Hunter's Inn.

It was a misty morning as we struck out over the high ground on Holdstone Down. This is the best place to view the highest sea cliffs in England, but this time the mist obscured our view of the sea.
It is also the place where Jesus landed in a spaceship, which makes Holdstone Down a holy mountain charged with cosmic energy, according to The Aetherius Society. Want to know more? Go to their web site.

Into the mist but didn't feel any cosmic energy

The weather was dry and not too cold, just right for walking. My boots got a good workout.

T coming down the steps leading to Sherrycombe Water

After coming down a very steep slope to Sherrycombe Water, we were faced with an even steeper climb up the other side to Great Hangman. This little stream leads to a spectacular waterfall, which it is said was used by the crew of a German U-boat to replenish their fresh water supply during WWII.

Looking back on the path down to Sherrycombe from
halfway up the other side. Click to enlarge.... see the hikers?

Here we attained our highest elevation, and the highest sea cliff in England..... 1043 feet (318m) on Great Hangman as it is named on the maps, but we always called it Big Hangman when I lived here. Yes, this area is where I was born and brought up. This was a homecoming for me.

The stone cairn on Big Hangman.

Local tradition says that if you climb Big Hangman, you should carry a stone all the way up, and put it on the cairn, and make a wish. I knew it as "the fairies letterbox". Did I carry a stone all the way up? Of course I did. And will I tell you my wish? Definitely not! It's a secret between me and the fairies.

OK, it's not very big, but even little stones can work magic with the fairies.

As we walked towards Little Hangman, the mist began to clear, and the sun broke through the low clouds.

Looking towards Watermouth Harbour through the mist.
(Is it only me, or does this look like a giant green alligator?)

The first time I climbed Little Hangman with my dad I was three years old. A few years have passed since then.

Legend says that the hills of Little Hangman and Big Hangman get their names from a thief who stole a sheep and tied it around his neck while he rested. The sheep fell over the cliff, with predictable disastrous results for the thief. Be warned. Crime doesn't pay.

Little Hangman - the previous picture was taken at the very top.

Looking over Combe Martin harbour from Hangman Path

It was an easy downhill trek into the village of Combe Martin. This is where I was born and spent my younger years. The grey roof in the foreground is the house I grew up in, although so much changed to be unrecognisable now.
We peeked through the hedge to spy on the property where I lived and my cousins spent their summers. My dad's immaculate strawberry fields and tidy vegetable gardens are weedy and overgrown. The gateposts are crumbling.  The apple trees and the currant bushes are gone. I think I prefer to remember it as it was when I was little.

The Adventure continues.....

For more about my trip to England and the South West Coast Path, scroll down to see the next two posts.
If you have done this section of the Coast Walk, please leave me a comment and tell me about it!

Kung Hei Fat Choi

The Chinese New Year of the Dragon started on Monday 23 January with celebrations throughout the large Chinese community in the Toronto area. I went to Pacific Mall to take in some of the local culture.

Pacific Mall is huge, I mean really huge. And there are over 500 individually owned stores selling anything and everything. Cell phones, computer parts, clothing, shoes, Chinese medicine, Chinese DVDs, jewellery.... you name it, it's for sale. (Most of the time legal, sometimes not so legal, as in the case of pirated movies for sale. Just ask the local RCMP.)

 

 

 

 

 Lots of places to get Asian food and drink. And lots of Chinese families enjoying lunch in the second level food area.

 But I didn't go there to shop or to eat. I wanted to see the New Year celebrations. The stage was set with a large golden dragon hovering above it.

After some Chinese pop songs that everyone but me knew, and some encouraging words from local dignitaries and government representatives, the show began with Chinese drumming.

And then, the stars of the show, the Lion Dance, accompanied by loud drumming and clashing of cymbals to frighten away any evil spirits that might be lurking.

The lions danced to the rhythm of the drums, eventually being fed lettuce leaves symbolising good luck and a new start to the New Year. Hidden in the lettuce is the red "Lucky money" envelope. The lettuce was scattered among the crowd for good luck, and then the God of Good Fortune arrived to give out more red envelopes. That's when I left.... I just didn't want to be caught in the crush.

People born in the Year of the Dragon are said to be confident, hardworking and always strive to be at the top. They are full of energy, determined and will inspire other people, dislike routine and are excited by new projects. They show loyalty to friends, and are popular and fun-loving.

Are you a Dragon? Not me, I'm a Rooster. Kung hei fat choi!