holidays-msg - 5/30/15

Halloween, Samhain, other Medieval holidays.

NOTE: See also the files: fairs-msg, Yule-msg, Candlemas-msg, 12th-nite-msg, Christmas-art, 12th-nite-msg, Holiday-Celeb-lnks, Jewsh-Holiday-art, Halloween-lnks, Spring-Celeb-lnks, Valentnes-Day-msg.

************************************************************************
NOTICE -

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.

Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
************************************************************************

From: MS7539 at CONRAD (Stewart, Marie Alston )
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Vampires... Halloween info
Date: 21 Mar 1994 23:31:25 GMT
Organization: APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY

	Greetings all...   

	Forgive me I do not have the name of the person who posted this
tidbit,  but if you are reading this... I would love to see the documentation
for your statement... that...  Dressing up at Halloween,  All Hallow's,
Samhain... was period....

	I beg to differ...  

	The only proof of customs that I can find are as follows...

1.  A proclomation by Queen Elizabeth I  stating that the ringing of bells 
on Allhallowntide and at Al Souls' Day, with the two nights next before and
after, be prohibited"  
	From Strype's "Annals of the Reformation"

2. There is also a series of entries in the Heybridge Parish, near Malden 
in Essex that calls for a new bell "knapple"  clapper and rope  "agenste
Hallowmasse."  The entry is dated 1517.

3. A book called "The Festyvall"  written in 1511...  describes the customs
of the day in England and Wales at the time...  no mention of costumes is made
	However,  it does make mention of a custom of baking a cake for each
member of the house... Hence why Halloween is still known in the back waters 
of Wales as Cake Day...  

4. Also Shakespeare's 2 gentlemen of Verona.. describes the tradition of the
populace to go a-souling...  This was when groups would travel from parish
to parish singing and begging soul-cakes... The same cakes as mentioned 
above.  But there is no mention that it is done in any form of costume...
	that is I think there isn't,  and drat my copy of the bard is at
the other house...  piffle... I'll go look that one up...

5. The peasants in Ireland also went from house to house... collecting food
(apples and nuts, and cakes)  The procession is described as carrying torches
and the hill fires were lighted from the torches brought from each houses
hearth.    Again no mention of costume...  sorry...

6.  I also have replicas of wood cuts from the 14-15th centuries showing the
game of bobbing for apples and also of string apples.  One of the few modern
parts of Halloween that actually has some mideval roots...  

7.  The only times that I can find where  masks and costumes were popular
are during the Feast of Fools and at the time of Carnival...  Neither 
festival is near August... so 

	This brings me to the point of all this... saying that the people
who choose to dress as vampires are just dressing up as they would in the 
middle ages for Halloween, is, to me, a weak arguement... 
	also I have found little proof that dressing as a malignant spirit
was popular... The instances I have found were generally only in morality
plays...  so the common person wouldn't be doing it...

	On the other hand from what I know of Russian folklore... the average
joe wouldn't go about saying the name of these creatures,  let alone dressing
up like one of the damned...

	So please,  if there is some bit of evidence to the contrary, 
enlighten me...  After all I am here to learn, and share what I know about
the time.  

	Also if any vampires are lurking and hope to run into me at
Pensic...  rethink that idea... 

	Sincerely,  and hoping to find out more...

		The MacLean of Atlantia  


Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: lynch_c at csvax1.ucc.ie (Conor Lynch (U.C.C. Ireland))
Subject: Re: Vampires... Halloween info
Organization: Computer Science Dept. University College, Cork, Ireland.
Date: Tue, 22 Mar 1994 13:16:24 GMT

In article <1994Mar22.045309.15416 at sol.cs.wmich.edu>, Dale at sol.cs.wmich.edu (Dale Gee) writes:
>In article <2mlaod$3er at lester.appstate.edu> MS7539 at CONRAD (Stewart, Marie Alston         ) writes:
>>
>>Forgive me I do not have the name of the person who posted thisI would love 
>>to see the documentation for your statement... that...  Dressing up at 
>>Halloween,  All Hallow's, Samhain... was period....
>>
>It said that tradition of wearing a cosutume or a disguise
>came from the middle ages when people thought that all the spirits of the 
>nether world rose up and roamed the earth on All Hallows Eve. 

>Clynch> The idea of dressing up on the feast of Samhain is as old as the feast
of Samhain itself. The feast predates Christian times by a couple of thousand
years. Therefore it is period although it would not be period to refer to the
festival as Halloween or All Hallows eve. 
Samhain in period was much more a pagan festival than it is today or at least 
that was the case in Ireland where it formed one point of the yearly cycle of 
which there were four; Imbolc, Samhain, Bealtane, Lughnasa


From: tmarsh at utic (Todd Marsh)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Help with Dates of Holidays
Date: 23 Jan 1995 06:06:52 GMT

Rosayln MacGregor of Glen Orchy wrote:
: As to canon vs. civil, I'd be interested in knowing if there were civil
: holidays observed by Elizabethan English people.

One of the popular civil holidays during Elizabeth's reign was the
anniversary of her accession to the throne. 

"Her Accession Day, 17 November, began to be celebrated all over the 
country with bell-ringing and bonfires, feasts and sermons - and this was 
a spontaneous movement, not brought into being by any government 
legislation.  Indeed, such was its aura, that the day went on being 
celebrated long after her death, for more than a century.  At the Court 
it came to be signalised by the famous Accession Day Tilts, and was an 
occaision for popular rejoicing: a secular feast grander than any of 'the 
Pope's holydays'."

Quoting from "The Elizabethan Renaissance"  by A.L. Rowse, 
Charles Scribner's Sons, 1971, LC 70-172948, pg 34.

***************************************************************************
Lord Llywelyn Gruffydd                           Todd Marsh, MIS Consultant
Ansteorra, Barony of Elfsea                      tmarsh at utic.unicomp.net
Cadet to Don Robin of Gilwell


From: Jo Lori Drake <jldrake at tasc.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Medieval Holidays?
Date: 26 Apr 1995 19:08:56 GMT
Organization: TASC

There is recently published book on Medieval Holidays:

Hutton, Ronald.  Rise and Fall of Merry England: the ritual year
1400-1700.  Oxford University Press. 1994

I just checked it out of the library last night.  It is limited in
time and geography, but it's got great information on what holdidays
were celebrated at this time period and how they were celebrated.

The author uses primary sources almost exclusively, but writes in
a very lucid, accessible style.

Enjoy!
Rhian Lyth


From: doug_brunner at hp-corvallis.om.hp.com (Doug Brunner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: History of April Fools' Day?
Date: 13 Feb 1996 01:05:51 GMT
Organization: Hewlett Packard Inkjet Comp. Div.

jeffs at bu.edu (Jeff Suzuki) writes:
> I'm looking for references on the history of April Fools day, All Fools
>Day, a Festival of Fools and related holidays.

    Check me, I could be wrong, but -(now there's a lead in). Memory says that
April Fool's Day was once New Years. When either the Church or the King 
changed it to January 1, some people still held onto the old ways. These
eventually became known as April Poisson(sp?), or April's Fish, in French. 
There are a couple of references. One is "Customs of Mankind", who's author
escapes me , at the moment. The other is something like "Holidays and other
excuses for Merry Making". They're both printed in the earlier part of this 
century, but they're very entertaining, if nothing else. You might also 
check out some French History. 

Bruno vonBrunner
Woods Crafter/ Merchant
The Termite of Shrewsbury


From: jeffs at bu.edu (Jeff Suzuki)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: History of April Fools' Day?
Date: 21 Feb 1996 15:43:20 GMT
Organization: Boston University

Doug Brunner (doug_brunner at hp-corvallis.om.hp.com) wrote:
> Check me, I could be wrong, but -(now there's a lead in). Memory
> says that : April Fool's Day was once New Years. When either the
> Church or the King : changed it to January 1, some people still held
> onto the old ways. These : eventually became known as April
> Poisson(sp?), or April's Fish, in French.

I'd heard the same thing; Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
gives the following explanation: March 25 (Ladyday) used to be the
first day of the year (it's right after the vernal equinox), and April
1 was the end of the "octave" (presumably, the end of the week) of
celebration of the new year and it was a traditional time to play
tricks on each other.

(In England, the beginning of the year didn't shift until England
switched to the Gregorian calendar, in 1752.  This led to some amusing
events, like Shakespeare and Cervantes dying on the same date...eleven
days apart.  April Fools, etc., is all tied up with "Thirty Days Hath
September, all the rest I can't remember..." and someday, someday...)

William the Alchymist


From: Mjccmc01 at aol.com
To: ansteorra at eden.com
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 1996 
Subject: Re: Mardi Gras (In Elizabethan England)

Mardi Gras, or Shrove Tuesday as it was (and is still) called in the
English-speaking countries, was the festival that was celebrated on the
Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.  According to Daily Life In Elizabethan England
by John Singley (a really fabulous, affordable and highly recommended book):

"This holiday was the last day before the fasting season of Lent.  On the
Continent, this day was celebrated with wild abandon, reflected in the modern
Mardi Gras.  The English version was more subdued but still involved ritual
feasting and violence.  (Doesn't this sound like an event?)  On this day it
was traditional to eat fritters and pancakes.  It was also a day for playing
football (a game much rougher than any of its modern namesakes), and for the
sport of "cockthrashing" or "Cockshys."  In cockthrashing, the participants
tied a cock to a stake and threw sticks at it; they payed the owner of the
cock a few pence for each try, and a person who could knock down the cock and
pick it up before the cock regained its feet won the cock as a prize.  In
towns, this was often a day for the apprentices to riot; their violence was
often aimed against those who transgressed sexual mores, especially
prostitutes.  The two days previous were sometimes called Shrove Monday and
Shrove Sunday."

Aubrey, you may cheerfully ignore that apprentice business.

I believe I can find some information regarding Mardi Gras celebration in
Italy if anyone is interested, but I knew right where this was.  Reply if you
interested and I'll try to find it.

Siobhan Ni'Breoghan Fitzlloyd
Have a great Shrove Tuesday and stay away from roosters, apprentices and
prostitutes.


From: Mjccmc01 at aol.com
To: ansteorra at eden.com
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 1996
Subject: Re: Mardi Gras (In Italy, as requested)

In Italy, Mardi Gras, or carnival, as it was called (which is from the Latin
"carne vale,: or farewell to meat, indicating a period of fasting to follow)
was a much more elaborate affair than in England.  The custom was to go to the
festivities masked, and as the years progressed the masks grew more and more
elaborate.  Originally, this festival was a time to present miracle and
mystery plays; however, as the Renaissance began to grow, the pageants began
to reflect less religious themes, and the pageantry became the sole purpose,
with no pretense made at religious education.  In Rome, the custom evolved of
emulating the triumphs of Classical Roman Conquerors, complete with conquered
kings in chains, senators, chariots, wagons loaded with "spoils of war," etc.
 In the Carnival of 1500, Cesare Borgia celebrated the triumph of Julius
Caesar (typically subtle).

In Venice, the festivities were no less grand; there are references to being
unable to even see the water for all the decorated boats.  Mock tournaments
(horses and all)  were held in St. Mark's.  Interestingly, Noah was a popular
figure in Venetian decorations.

Florence, however, outshone them all during the Renaissance.  Allegorical and
fantastic ceratures paraded through the street.  Most of the guilds of  the
city were pledged to provide at least ten chariots.  Lorenzo de'Medici  (The
Magnificent) wrote (or is credited with) several of the songs sung by various
groups of marchers, and various collections of these are fairly easy to find.

General reading on Italian society:  Gene Brucker, Ed., The Society of
Renaissance Florence, A Documentary Study; Burckhardt, Jacob, The
Civilization fo the Renaissance in Italy.  New York: The Modern Library,
1954; Henisch, Bridget Ann, Fast and Feast: Food in Medieval Society.
 University Park:  Pennsylvania State University Press, 1976.

With best wishes for a happy Mardi Gras, Carnival, and Shrove Tuesday, I'll
leave you with a favorite, in translation:

Youth is beautiful, but it flies away!  Who would be cheerful, let him be; of
the morrow there is no certainty.  (Burckhardt, p. 317)

Festively,
Siobhan


From: jeffs at bu.edu (Jeff Suzuki)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Mardi Gras
Date: 21 Mar 1997 19:32:22 GMT
Organization: Boston University

Mary Shafer (shafer at spdcc.com) wrote:
: Actually, Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, is 47 days before
: Easter.  The 40 days referred to above are the days that are fast
: days.  Sundays aren't fast days.  Thus, Lent is a period of 40 fast
: days (not counting Sundays, which aren't fast days), not 40 calendar
: days.

Ah.  This explains some things I was wondering about.

Serious question:  if Sundays aren't fast days, what are they?
(Insofar as dietary restrictions, etc.)  

Jeffs/William


From: bekka1 at ix.netcom.com(rebecca fildes)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Mardi Gras
Date: 20 Mar 1997 02:02:49 GMT

<E778J1.Kr3 at spdcc.com> shafer at spdcc.com (Mary Shafer) writes: 

<large snip>

  Fast days are not days on which no one can
>eat, but days on which one cannot eat certain foods, such as meats and
>"luxury" foods.  

<more snipping>

>Mary Shafer  DoD #0362 KotFR  shafer at ursa-major.spdcc.com
>URL http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/People/Shafer/mary.html
 
Please forgive me, Mary, for I am about to nitpick.  Your reply was
quite accurate save for one thing: the confusion of a day of 'fast'
with a day of 'abstinence'. Simply replace in your post 'abstinence'
for 'fast' and you then become completely correct.
 
A fast day *is* a day when one cannot eat, or must limit the *amount*
of food eaten.
 
A day of abstinence is a day when one *abstains* from eating certain
foods, such as meat. What you are describing here are days of
abstinence. 
 
In much of the Middle Ages, Lent was a time of abstinence (no meat or
eggs, etc) and for many, especially those in religious orders, a time
of fasting as well. 
 
I am, of course, using the Catholic doctrinal definition of the words
'fast' and 'abstinence', but since we were discussing Lent and Mardi
Gras, I felt I should speak up.
 
    Thank you for your patience with my nickpicking,
 
    Leofwynn Criostai
    mka Rebecca Fildes
    bekka1 at ix.netcom.com


From: geard at clear.net.nz (J Geard)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Favors
Date: Tue, 07 Apr 1998 09:32:52 GMT

On Tue, 7 Apr 1998 02:31:39 -0400, frasers at surenet.net (A. Stephen
Fraser) wrote:
>But I can face up 
>to the fact that even Easter itself is a mixture of Christian and Pagan 
>celebration (Easter was the celebration to the Pagan God Esther; The God 
>of fertility I believe - Hence the eggs.  Someone correct me on this if 
>I'm wrong please)

This may not be the appropriate forum, but...

It was my understanding that the _only_ reference anywhere to the
goddess <Eostre> was by (the very Christian) Bede, who started the
story that Easter was named for her. I've seen claims that she was
Germanic -- although she doen't turn up in the Eddas, which are
otherwise pretty full of minor deities -- and even a claim that she
was Celtic. I have seen nothing solid to back up any claims about her.
I _have_ seen claims that Bede should be believed only with a large
lump of corroborating evidence. Anyone know of such evidence?

Your humble servant,
  Alys le Chaunster
  In the final days before Pascha


From: "Bryan J. Maloney" <bjm10 at cornell.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Favors
Date: Tue, 07 Apr 1998 10:18:37 -0400

A. Stephen Fraser wrote:
> Indeed.  I'm a born-again Christian and proud of it.  But I can face up
> to the fact that even Easter itself is a mixture of Christian and Pagan
> celebration (Easter was the celebration to the Pagan God Esther; The God
> of fertility I believe - Hence the eggs.  Someone correct me on this if
> I'm wrong please)

Happy to oblige.  "Easter" is the western name for the Christian holiday
that was known as "Pascha" during the first centuries of the Church. 
"Pascha" being Greek for "Passover".  In fact, if I remember correctly,
"Easter" is not even used in Mediterranean western European countries,
but some variant of "Pasca" is used, instead.  Eggs are colored in
Greece and Russia, even though they do not use the term "Easter" at
all--we Orthodox use the term "Pascha".  The idea that "Easter" is a
conflation of a Christian event and some kind of pagan holiday sounds
like modern anti-celebratory protestant revisionism.


Date: Fri, 8 May 1998 11:46:57 -0400
From: mermayde at juno.com (Christine A Seelye-King)
Subject: SC - Mother's Day

Now, Father's Day is a recent invention (relatively) but Mother's Day is
actually period!  Enjoy! (Have you sent your Mother's Day Cards?)
        Mistress Christianna

Mothering Sunday* -Feudal Europe- On Laetare Sunday (mid-Lent) in spring,
"fostered" children would go to visit their own families. A sweet cake
called a "simnel"- named for simila=fine flour, plum cakes or cakes with
almond paste baked inside were taken to their mothers. (There is a
recipie for " A Simnel Cake for Mothering Sunday" in "How to Cook
Forsoothly")
Origins in the Greek Goddess Cybele, the goddess of nature (whom the
Greeks got from the Phrygians) and Roman festivities held to honor
motherhood.
England-In the 17th cent. Christians went once a year to pay their
respects to the Cathedral or 'Mother Church' of their religion. The huge
gatherings gave so many people a chance to have family reunions that they
began to call it "going a-mothering", and they brought their mothers
flowers and cakes for the occasion. The custom died out in the 18th cent.
But American soldiers stationed in England during WWII, who observed the
U.S. Mother's Day, reminded the English of their own tradition and
contributed to its revival.

Mother's Day* -United States- (Second Sunday in May) When Anna Jarvis'
mother died in 1907, the Philadelphia woman decided that one day every
year should be dedicated to mothers. She held a memorial service and
asked those who attended to wear white carnations. By 1914 she had
convinced Congress to proclaim a National day. Some people still wear
carnations- red (or pink) ones for living mothers and white ones for
those who've died.


Date: Tue, 16 Jun 1998 10:36:32 -0400
From: mermayde at juno.com (Christine A Seelye-King)
Subject: Re: SC - Beans for the Dead?

>  As I said there is and assassins feast soon and I have been asked to
>prepare a dish that the autocrat had once at another event which he
>called "Fava de Morti"  which as far as I know means Beans for the Dead.
 The Feastocrat from that event has left the state, and I've never heard
of  this particular dish before.  Does anyone out there know what I'm
talking  about?
>And if so, could they send me the recipe....it  sounds......interesting.
>
>Thanx
>-Sianan

This is an entry from my book, " 366 Days of Celebrations", for November
2 :  "Il Giorno dei Morti - Italy - In Rome, the Day of the Dead is the
proper time to send engagement rings to their sweethearts, and to
announce betrothals.  Children believe that if they revere their departed
family throughout the year, they will return with gifts on this festival
night.  'Fave dei Morti' or "beans of the Dead" are rich almond cakes
colred and flavored with chocolate, orange, or other flavors.  They are
made into kidney-bean shapes."

I will see if I can track down a recipie later, but I am late now.
Mistress Christianna MacGrain


Date: Tue, 16 Jun 1998 15:43:33 -0400
From: mermayde at juno.com (Christine A Seelye-King)
Subject: SC - Fave dei Morti (Beans of the Dead)

Ok, here you go, a recipie and everything.  This is from the book
"Feast-Day Cakes From Many Lands" by Dorothy Gladys Spicer
 copyrite 1960, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, NY

'Fave die Morti (Beans of the Dead) - Italy

        Fave dei Morti, beans of the dead, are the little bean-shaped
cakes that Italians eat on November 2, Il Giorno dei Morti, or All Soul's
Day.  These small cakes, made of ground almonds and sugar combined with
egg, butter, flour, and subtle flavorings, are traditionally eaten
throughout Italy on the day that everyone decorates the graves with
flowers and says masses for departed souls.
         <snip explaination of church decorations, graveside florals>
        In spite of the somber beginning of Il Giorno dei Morti, the day
is far from gloomy.  To young men in and about Rome, the Day of the Dead
is the proper time to send engagement rings to sweethearts.  And to young
couples this 'festa' is the occasion to announce betrothals.  Fave dei
Morti, sometimes white, or tinted delicate pink, or chocolate color, play
an important part in these rites.  For the man sends the ring to his
fiancee in a conventional small square white box that is packed in an
oval container, full of the bean-shaped cakes.
          <snip explaination of other holiday observances>
        Fave dei Morti, beans of the dead, are rich and delicate little
cakes.  Despite their macabre origin, you will want them often.   Color
them orange and serve them at Halloween or Thanksgiving parties with ice
cream goblin or pumpkin molds.  Or leave them white and store in tightly
closed tins, to serve with coffee or tea to unexpected guests.

        FAVE DEI MORTI

1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely ground almonds (unblanched)
1 egg
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
Vegetable coloring, if desired

Combine sugar, butter, and ground almonds.  Beat egg and add to other
ingredients, mixing thoroughly.  Add flour and flavoring.  Work dough
until smooth and make into a roll about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Wrap
in waxed paper and refrigerate 2-3 hours.  Then cut off bits of dough and
mold them into kidney-shaped pieces about as large as lima beans.
Bake on greased cookie sheet in moderate oven (350 degrees) about 15-20
minutes, or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes before removing them from
pan with spatula.  Yield: about 2 dozen small cakes.  '

I would infer from the "Add flour and flavoring" line that you should add
whatever flavor you wish at this stage, such as cocoa powder, lemon, etc.
 Hope this is what your autocrat had in mind!
        Good Luck,
        Mistress Christianna MacGrain


Date: Tue, 16 Jun 1998 16:12:35 -0400 (EDT)
From: Gretchen M Beck <grm+ at andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: SC - Fave dei Morti (Beans of the Dead)

Excerpts from internet.listserv.sca-cooks: 16-Jun-98 SC - Fave dei Morti
(Beans .. by C. Seelye-King at juno.com
> Ok, here you go, a recipie and everything.  This is from the book
> "Feast-Day Cakes From Many Lands" by Dorothy Gladys Spicer
>  copyrite 1960, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, NY

Looks like the name has transferred since 1614 -- in Castelvetti, Fava
del Morte is actually a sort of fava bean paste.

toodles, margaret


Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1998 08:28:09 -0500
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: RE: SC - Results of: Yikes! I'm teaching a class!

> My husband really, really liked "Tart on Ember Day", but we both wondered
> what the heck Ember Day is--Ash Wednesday was our guess.

From the quick ref, Ember Day is a day of pray and fasting occurring on
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after the first Sunday of Lent, after
Whitsunday, after September 14 and after December 13.  The term derives from
the Old English, ymbrendaeg, which roughly means, a recurring day.

Bear


Subject: Re: Halloween
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 13:13:00 -0400
From: burginde at juno.com (deborah e burgin)
To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org

>Poster: jsrechts at imap.unc.edu
>Anyone know about Halloween traditions during the Middle Ages? I also
>wonder if it's celebrated in Europe.
>Just curious as I know nothing about this topic!

As for what is currently celebrated in Europe (not the middle ages) -
they do not have this tradition in Switzerland nor France.  Geneva,
however, has a wonderful custom on Dec 11 when they celebrate repelling
the evil Savoyard (French just across the border who have always had
their eye on the wonderful valley that is Geneva) in a resounding victory
(this occurred back in 1214 - think perhaps they like rubbing it in a bit
much?).  There are all sorts of  stories and traditions to go along with
it - the best being that bands of children go from door to door and sing
songs about the fierce battle and the good Genevois, etc. in return for
which they get coins, or fruit and cups of hot cider or tea - not bad,
eh?

Gisele (who is, in fact, Genevois, and not French as some would have you
believe)


Subject: Halloween Customs & Origin
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 14:41:22 -0500
From: Erick and Sue <bduck at fred.net>
To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org

According to my copy of "Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things" p 62-64
summed up

Halloween was first celebrated in 5th century BC by the Celts.  They
extinguished the fires in their homes on the night of October 31 (the
official end of Summer) to deliberately make their homes undesirable to
spirits.  They gathered outside where a Druid had lit a huge bonfire  to
honor the sun god and frighten away any lingering spirits.

The Celts believed that the spirits of all who had died that year assembled
that night to choose the body of the person or animal they would inhabit
for the next 12 months before they could pass peacefully to the afterlife.
To frighten away the roving souls, they would dress as deamons, hogoblins,
and other horrors.  They would parade inside the cold houses and outside as
noisily and distructively as possible and finally to the bonfire outside
town.

Romans adopted the Celtic practices, but in AD 61 they outlawed human
sacrifice (though the part on the Celtic practices makes no reference to
human sacrifice?), substituting instead, effigies.

Irish immigrants brought Halloween customs of costume and mischief to the
US in the 1840's--calling it mischeif night.  Thye also brought with them
the custome of of a sort of jack-o-lantern.  They hollowed out a turnip,
carved a face on it, and lighted it with a candle inside.  There were few
turnips to be found in the new world but numerous pumpkins.

The tern Jack-o'-lantern is of Irish origin, too.  The legend goes, a man
named Jack, notorious for his drunken and lazy habits, tricked the devil
into climbing a tree.  Quickly carving a cross on the truck, Jack trapped
Satan until he swore he would never again tempt Jack to sin.  Upon his
death, Jack found himself barred from Heaven for his sinning, and also
refused entrance int o Hell from and unforgiving Satan.  Condemned to
wander in frigid darkness until Judgement Day, he implored the devil for
embers to light his way.  Though Satan had enbers in surplus, he alloted
Jack a single coal.  Putting the ember into a turnip he had chewed hollow,
he formed Jack's Lantern.

The most widely accepted theory on the origins of trick-or-treating traces
the practice to the ninth-century European custom of 'souling'

On All Soul's Day, Christians walked from village to village begging for
square buscuits, called soul cakes.  The beggars promised to offer up
prayers for the dead relatives of the donors, the number of prayers
relative to the donor's generosity.  The quantity of prayers a dead person
amassed was significant in a practical way, for limbo was the penitential
layoever stop on the journey into heavan, and suffuciant prayer, even by an
anonymous individual, would shorten the stay.

I make no guarantees that all this is accurate, only that I have accurately
summarized up the claims of Charles Panati.  If he has it wrong...feel free
to soap up his windows and teepee his house. :)

Sue


Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1998 09:40:01 EST
From: LrdRas at aol.com
Subject: SC - Tablecloths and Christmas feasts

Regarding Christmas feasts in the Middle Ages.  To put it simply they were
uncommon since the early and medieval church put much more emphasis on the
date of death rather than birth.  Note that all the Saints days are celebrated
on the date of their death.  It was only with much reluctance that the Church
excepted Christ's birth as a day of feasting.  It did so only when confronted
with the need to incorporate pagan festivals into it's body of traditions
because the pagan populace insisted on practicing their traditional winter
fire festivals in celebration of the lengthening of the days.

It was during the Middle Ages that these festivals were incorporated into
Christian practice, although the Church had, by way of a pronouncement by Pope
Julius I in 350 C.E., set Dec. 25 as the 'official,' albeit inaccurate, date
of Jesus of Nazareth's birth.  It was all in all a rather minor day with the
actual celebrations occurring on Epiphany or Twelfth Night.  It most certainly
did not have the significance that it has come to have in the current middle
ages until extremely late in period.

The Church's main focus was on the Lenten season.  That, and various
celebrations by local saints cults being the major religious points of the
year. The principle source of this information is from  'The Wordsworth Book
of Saints' by Alison Jones and 'How It Started' by Web Gammon

Ras


Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 13:35:52 -0500
From: Christine A Seelye-King <mermayde at juno.com>
Subject: SC - St. David's Day - Not OOP

>Elysant, please tell me more about St. David's Day.  Who's the OUR to
>which you refer?
>
>Leanna of Sparrowhaven
>"Any excuse for a party!"

I'm not Elysant, but I can give you some information on St. David's Day,
and on other things celebrated on March 1st.  I would love to hear from
the lady from England (or Wales, I'm guessing, is the OUR) just what
other celebrations do occur.
Mistress Christianna MacGrain
author of "366 Days of Celebrations, or, A Year Full of Reasons to Throw
A Party"

MARCH 1
Matronalia, New Year's Day - Ancient Rome - March was named for Mars, and
was sacred to both Mars and Juno, wife of Jupiter.  Juno is the presiding
deity of the first day of the year, and of the year as a whole.  She is
seen as a matron, and a virgin mother. The Kalends of March were the last
day of what came to be called Carnival, the period of celebration from
the Terminalia to this symbolic first day of Spring.  Celebrated until
154 BCE. Celebrated in Venice until 1797.  (See Feb. 23rd.)
Festival of Mars - Ancient Rome - Mars is seen as both war-like and as
the personification of protection of the state, along with agricultural
and business success of the community.   On this day, Mars' Birthday, the
priests of His temple would carry shields and leap and dance through the
streets.  This celebration would continue until March 24th.
St. David's Feast Day (4th Cent)  Patron Saint of Wales & Poets. His
symbol is the leek, probably because he ate a lot of leeks as part of his
vegetarian diet.  He established many monasteries and  performed some
miracles. This date commemorates a Welsh victory over the English, when
they wore leeks in their hats to identify their countrymen.
St. Swithbert's Feast Day (8th Cent) Patron Invoked against Angina.
English missionary to the Friesians (southern Holland).
Whuppity Scoorie Day - Scotland - Church bells start ringing at 6am on
March 1st after being silent all winter long. Children race around the
church with string attached to a paper ball, whirling them at other
racers.  Origins of this custom are lost, but may be to drive out winter
and evil spirits.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Founded (1565)


Subject: Re: ANST - April Fools
Date: Thu, 01 Apr 99 08:30:13 MST
From: Mark&Sue <uriel at intx.net>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

Tamlin here

Jackie wrote:
> Morning.  Was wondering what the history of this rather blackly humourous
> day is...anyone wanna take a stab at it?
>
> Ulrica the mischevious

A VERY quick search on www revealed.

April Fools Day: An Unsolved History
                    The first of April, some do say,
                    Is set apart for All Fools' Day.
                    But why the people call it so,
                    Nor I, nor they themselves do know.
                    But on this day are people sent
                    On purpose for pure merriment.
                    -- Poor Robin's Almanac (1790)

OK, who started it?
Did the first Fools come from France, England, Mexico, Sweden or
India? The truth, as in any good mystery, lies hidden in the shadows of
time.

Some say that April Fools Day began in many parts of the world at the
same time, in celebration of the spring equinox. Pranks were a big part
of even the most boring equinox parties, everywhere from Sweden to
India.

Others argue that the modern April Fool's Day followed the adoption
of a reformed calendar in France circa 1564. In medieval times, the
octave of New Year's began on March 25 with the eight days of
festivities ending on April 1.

With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, New Year's Day
was moved from April 1 to January 1. Due to the slowness of
"sandal-net" communication back then and general resistance to
change, the January 1 date was not fully accepted for several years.
Those traditionalists who clung to April 1 as New Year's Day were
scoffed at as "fools" and sent fake party invitations and prank gifts.

Widespread observance in England began in the 18th century. The
English, Scots and French introduced the custom to their colonies in
America. One of our forefathers' favorite jokes was to send someone
on a "fool's errand." For example, one might have been asked to go out
and obtain a copy of "The History of Adam's Grandfather," or bring
back some "sweet vinegar."

In Scotland, April Fools Day is 48 hours long. The second day is called
Taily Day and is dedicated to pranks involving the buttocks. Taily
Day's gift to posterior posterity is the still-hilarious "Kick Me" sign.

The "foolish" tradition is celebrated in Mexico, too, but on a different
day and for different reasons. "El Dia de los Inocentes," which is
December 28, was set aside as a day for Christians to mourn Herod's
slaughter of innocent children. Over time, the tone of that "unluckiest of
days" has evolved from sadness to good-natured trickery. Even the
media join the fun, often running bogus news stories and radio reports.

We may never learn the true origin of April Fools Day. However, the
deeper question facing us today is, "What's the best gag I can pull off?"
AprilFools.com has some intriguing suggestions.

Sources Include: The American Book of Days by Jane M. Hatch; The World
Holiday Book by Anneli Rufus; the Encyclopedia Americana.


Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 19:48:45 EST
From: <RaceMarre at aol.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: birthdays

The Catholic church demanded names for babies be chosen from the accepted 
saints, or the baby would not be baptized.  Every saint had a specific feast 
day - could be their own birthday, date of death, or some event in their 
lives. In Russia, until the revolution, both a personal birthday and saints 
day (called name day) were celebrated with equal importance.

Nancy


Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:58:06 -0400
From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Forthcoming titles Fall 2008 LONG
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

As promised sometime back here's a list of some forthcoming
fall 08- winter 09
titles that might be of interest to readers of this list.
They cover a full range of topics.
I've included details, descriptions or links where I have them.
A number of the lists I used didn't record prices possibly because
they were not yet set.

Johnnae

-----------------

Entertaining from Ancient Rome to the Super Bowl [Two Volumes]
*Author: *Adamson, Melitta Weiss et al. *Publisher: *Greenwood
Publishing Group, Incorporated * *0-313-33957-0
*** *Oct 2008 *Price: *$199.95 **
664 pages http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/GR3957.aspx
This a two-volume reference set for libraries. Entries tell the history
of wedding and religious customs, holidays and
modern day get togethers. Entries on
Ancient Rome, Medieval entertaining,  etc.


Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 14:05:40 -0400
From: Christine A Seelye-King <mermayde at juno.com>
Subject: SC - Re: [TY] Easter Celebrations

> 	Easter eggs were served on Easter day and were colored red
> to symbolize joy. (N.B. the CE doesn't give a date on this one so
> I will not vouch for its strict periodness)

	This is thought to be a result of travelers in the Middle East observing
the red eggs there.  Here is the listing for Easter from my book.
Christianna

Easter* - Christian - Celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus. Mary
Magdalene and some companions visited the tomb of Jesus, and the Angel of
the Lord appeared and told them He was risen. Legend has it that the sun
jumps for joy on Easter morning, so many churches have sunrise services.
In the 8th century the Venerable Bede suggested that the word "Easter"
may have come from Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic goddess of
spring and fertility. Saxons ate cross-inscribed loaves in her honor. 
Her symbol was a hare, which may explain the custom of the Easter hare,
or rabbit, who brings Easter eggs. The egg may have become a special
Easter symbol of rebirth because eggs were long one of the foods
forbidden during Lent. The use of Easter Eggs among Christians came into
use around 700 AD.  The tradition of coloring eggs probably began with
medieval travelers to Egypt and Persia, where people colored eggs for
their spring festivals.  Red eggs symbolized the Blood of Christ, a
chicken meant the fulfillment of one's dreams, the sun presages good
luck,  flowers for love and understanding, good health is assured by a
deer or a stag, and prosperity by a pig.  In Lancastershire, England, the
children participate in Pace-Egging, where they roll Easter eggs down a
hill.  It was said to commemorate Christ's tomb stone rolling away from
the crypt.   Norsemen also had the word Eostur, Eastur, Ostara, or Ostar,
meaning season of the growing sun.  (April 25th is the latest day on
which Easter Sunday can occur.  The earliest day on which it can fall is
March 22nd.)
Lambri* - Greece - "Bright Day" is how Greeks describe Easter. The night
before, all lights go out. At midnight, a priest enters holding a candle,
proclaiming the Resurrection of Christ. His candle is used to light the
candles every person holds. The church bells ring, ships sound their
whistles, and firecrackers go off. Afterward, people celebrate with
dancing, roast lamb, and Easter eggs, which Greeks dye red only. 


Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 14:00:00 -0400
From: Christine A Seelye-King <mermayde at juno.com>
Subject: SC - Fw: Re: [TY] Easter Celebrations

A very interesting post from our Kingdom list in response to the
question, "How was Easter Celebrated in period?".  I though I would share
this with the list.  
	Happy Holy Days,
	Christianna

- --------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mark Mettler <mettler at bulloch.net>
To: meridian-ty at egroups.com
Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 22:49:36 -0400
Subject: Re: [TY] Easter Celebrations

Early Christians observed Easter on the same day as Passover (14-15
Nisan, a date governed by a lunar calendar). In the 2d century, the
Christian celebration was transferred to the Sunday following the 14-15 Nisan, if that day fell on a weekday. Originally, the Christian Easter was a unitive celebration, but in the 4th century Good Friday became a separate commemoration of the death of Christ, and Easter was thereafter devoted exclusively to the resurrection. According to the Venerable Bede, the name Easter is derived from the pagan spring festival of the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre, and many folk customs associated with Easter (for example, Easter eggs) are of pagan origin. The common name then for Easter was Paschal Feast.  Easter always falls the First Sunday after a full moon which happens on or after March 21 (The vernal equinox).

Let us look at one single Hanseatic town, Attendorn.  Attendorn
flourished in the 13th and 14th centuries mainly thanks to the nine
guilds, especially the wool and linen weavers. But the political and
ecclesiastical position of the town in its function as border fortress
against the neighboring Mark County and as seat of one of the largest
deaneries in the old archbishopric of Cologne led to the formation of
wealth. In 1255, Attendorn was the only Sauerland town to join the
Rhenish confederation of 60 important towns of the empire.

Here is how it celebrated Easter:  The tunes of a centuries old horn
played from the church tower, the blessing of bread on Easter Saturday,
the putting up and burning of the Easter Fires at the four town gates,
the processions from there to St. John's Church, the display of unusual
Easter lanterns.

The Easter Egg, or Pace ege, is one of the oldest traditions recorded
for Easter in Europe.  Another of the customs, "lifting' or 'heaving'
contests.
- --
Ld. Gryffri de Newmarch
http://www2.gasou.edu/SCA


Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 14:06:21 -0400
From: Christine A Seelye-King <mermayde at juno.com>
Subject: SC - Fw: Re: [TY] Easter Celebrations

More from the Easter discussion. 
Christianna

- --------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "James Pratt" <cathal at mindspring.com>
To: meridian-ty at egroups.com
Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 23:21:56 -0400
Subject: Re: [TY] Easter Celebrations

	In the Medieval period Easter was considered the principal 
feast on the liturgical calendar.  Its celebration over shadowed
even that of the Nativity.  Using the theme of resurrection and rebirth
it was considered the optimum time for baptism.

	The _Catholic Encyclopedia_ makes note of the following as 
some of the more interesting customs outside of the purely liturgical
associations:

	In Bavaria during the 15th. century the custom of "risus 
Paschalis" (Easter laughter) came into vogue.  The priest would
use amusing stories to illustrate points of the resurrection story
to the congregation with the hope that they would draw the proper
moral conclusion.  It evidently became so popular that it eventually
was considered an abuse of the word of God and banned by Pope
Clement X.  No respect...

	Easter eggs were served on Easter day and were colored red
to symbolize joy. (N.B. the CE doesn't give a date on this one so
I will not vouch for its strict periodness)

	The clergy in Germany and France was given leave to vent 
the strict discipline of Lent by playing handball during Easter week.
There is also mention of a dance in which clerics of all ranks took
part in celebration.

	On Easter Monday women had the right to strike their husbands
and on Tuesday the husbands could strike their wives.  These and 
other customs contrary to the normal decorum are listed in the 
article but have no specific date.

	Bonfires were lit on some high places in celebration of the 
feast; however the Church tended to ban the actions as more
akin to Pagan than Christian practices.

	In memory of the Passover association, Easter eve saw the
ritual blessing of the house.

	I'm sure there are other customs attendant to the festival;
however the foregoing were the more interesting noted in the 
article.

Cathal.


Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 10:46:08 -0600 (CST)
From: "Pixel, Goddess and Queen" <pixel at hundred-acre-wood.com>
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] RE: Handling special diet needs at feasts

Actually, because it's calculated by a lunar calendar with no leap
anything (Jews have a leap month to straighten things out every couple of
years and keep the various festivals and holy days approximately the
same time every year), Ramadan moves slowly backwards every year (10 days
or so). So, eventually, it will be during the summer.

Margaret

On Wed, 9 Jan 2002, Terry Decker wrote:
> I'm sure you mean "far south."  During Ramadan, north of the Arctic Circle
> it's night.  Since the fasting starts at dawn, it is lawful to eat.  Below
> the Arctic Circle, you get to fast for about 3 to 6 hours, depending on
> where you are.  Praise Allah, Ramadan is not in summer.
>
> Bear
>
> >Incidentally, what do devout believers in the Islamic faith do
> >at Ramadon if they live up in the far north where the sun does not set in
> >Winter???  Starve for a month???
> >
> >Akim Yaroslavich


Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2006 00:13:52 -0800
From: lilinah at earthlink.net
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Spices and the Irish Common folk
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

Adamantius wrote:
> The four big festivals on the Celtic calendar correspond roughly
> to the solstices and equinoxes: Imbolc in the winter, Beltane in the
> spring, Lughnasa in the late summer, and Samhain in the autumn.
> Lughnasa is the festival of the sun god, Lugh, more or less the
> Celtic Apollo, and it doubles as the harvest festival, Lammas in
> English. Eating colcannon at Lughnasa is allegedly an ancient
> tradition (before you guys jump in, there's apparently some evidence
> to suggest that colcannon once was made without potatoes).

The Celtic solar holidays fall MID-WAY BETWEEN the Solstices and
Equinoces. Since the Solstices and Equinoces "wobble" a bit on the
calendar (falling somewhere between the 19 and the 22 of their
month), the Celtic holidays wobble a little too, actually falling
more or less on the 6th or 7th of their month.

Modern convention, however, places them on the last day of the
previous month/first of the month (since i've heard the Celtic
system, like the Ancient Middle Eastern, starts days with the sunset)
for convenience, but since the holidays are astrologically based,
that's not where they REALLY fall.

Samhain (more or less "sow-enn") early November
Imbolc early February
Beltaine early May
Lughnasa early August
-- 
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita


Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2006 18:03:09 -0500
From: Tom Vincent <Tom.Vincent at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Spices and the Irish Common folk
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

Just to complete the list:

Yule, Winter Solstice
Ostara, Spring Equinox
Midsummer or Litha, Summer Solstice
Mabon, mid Sept.

Duriel

lilinah at earthlink.net wrote:
> Samhain (more or less "sow-enn") early November
> Imbolc early February
> Beltaine early May
> Lughnasa early August


From: Naima <ladywolf89 at yahoo.com>
Date: May 14, 2006 1:29:45 PM CDT
To: ansteorra at ansteorra.org
Subject: [Ansteorra] Happy Mothers Day

The earliest Mother's Day celebrations can be traced
back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in
honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. During the
1600's, England celebrated a day called "Mothering
Sunday". Celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent (the 40
day period leading up to Easter*), "Mothering Sunday"
honored the mothers of England.

In the United States Mother's Day was first suggested
in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the words to the
Battle hymn of the Republic) as a day dedicated to
peace. Ms. Howe would hold organized Mother's Day
meetings in Boston, Mass ever year.

Read all about the History of Mothers day including
the above snips at:
http://www.holidays.net/mother/story.htm

happy mothers day to all :)

Sayyida Naima bint Rashid al-Andalusiyya, CGP
Historian
Barony of Bjornsborg
Those who live by the sword, die by the clothyard shaft


Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:23:07 -0500
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Celebrating April Fools day
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

<<< So how *is* April 1/April Fools day celebrated in Europe these days. 
Unless it is another one of those urban legends I thought it  originated 
in some of the calendar changes near the end of our  period. I think there 
is some info on it in the Florilegium. However,  I don't remember a lot 
about how it was celebrated then or now.

Stefan >>>

The origin of April fool's Day/All Fool's Day is unknown, but there is a 
very good possibility that it is tied to the Gregorian Calendar reform of 
1582.  The reform was inacted to correct the shifting of the date of Easter, 
which is based on the Easter moon, whose first appearance can be between 
March 5 and April 2.  Easter being the first Sunday after the 15th day of 
the Easter moon (if my notes are correct).  Presumably, anyone still using 
the Julian Calendar was an "April Fool."

It is also possible that the basic idea of an April Fool is that of a person 
who planted his crops before May 1, which could possibly make the original 
concept Neolithic in origin.

Protestant countries didn't adopt the Gregorian Calendar until the 18th 
Century, so April Fool's Day may not have been celebrated in those countries 
until after they adopted the new calendar if the common legend is true.  The 
general practice of the celebration is hoaxes and pranks.

Bear 


Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:04:41 -0500
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Celebrating April Fools day
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

My copy of the OED shows the first written use of April Fool as being from 
1687.  This predates the official adoption of the Gregorian Calendar by the 
Britian and its territories in 1752.  It doesn't eliminate the possibility 
that April Fool is tied to the changes brought by the Gregorian Calendar, 
but it suggests that the original usage may be more tied to April being the 
first month of Spring and seen as fickle and changeable than to the calendar 
change.  It's an interesting puzzle.

Bear 


Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:54:50 -0400
From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Celebrating April Fools day
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

When I did my calendar custom series, I came across this
quotation in OED:

"What, has he been here? that's one of Loves April-fools, is always upon 
some errand that's to no purpose, ever embarking in Adventures"

This from Congreve as quoted in 1692's The Old Bachelour

Chamber's Book of Day's is online now and can be searched. It's 
certainly worth looking at.

http://www.thebookofdays.com/months/april/1.htm

Johnnae


Date: Fri, 02 Jan 2009 22:05:01 -0300
From: Suey <lordhunt at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] New Year's Eve/Day repast
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org

Jennifer Carlson wrote:
<<< My mother actually calls her children on New Year's Day to make sure we've all eaten our black-eyed peas. . . >>>

In Spain a Chinese china pill box containing lentils is given to each 
guest upon entering the home on New Year's Eve today for good luck but I 
believe chickpeas were served in the 15th Century.

Suey


From: "Chiara Francesca" <chiara.francesca at gmail.com>
Date: January 6, 2009 9:37:35 AM CST
To: "'Kingdom of Ansteorra - SCA, Inc.'" <ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: [Ansteorra] Happy Epiphany!

January 6 - Epiphany

The Feast of the Epiphany, or Twelfth Day, marks the end of Yule
festivities. The word is not specific to Christianity, however, as Zeus's
alias, "Epiphanes," can attest. It comes from the Greek epiphaneia, meaning
"manifestation" or "appearance."

In the church, Epiphany commemorates the manifestation of Jesus' divine
nature to the Magi, the three wise men or kings. In many countries, Three
Kings Day is a time of gift giving. Traditional fare is a spice King Cake
with a lucky bean baked in it.

Tradition advises the removal of Christmas greens by Epiphany to avoid bad
luck.
From the Farmer's Almanac

Baronessa Chiara Francesca Arianna d'Onofrio


Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:03:05 -0400
From: "Kingstaste" <kingstaste at comcast.net>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Easter Observances
To: "'Cooks within the SCA'" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

I have been collecting information about holiday celebrations and
observations for many years.  A lot of it is random and unedited, but I am
going to throw it out here to see if it rings any bells for anyone.  I am
always interested to hear family traditions that either confirm or debunk
what I've found.  

Christianna


MAR 21 

Vernal Equinox, First Day of Spring

Mothering Sunday* - Feudal Europe - On Laetare Sunday (mid-Lent) in spring,
"fostered" children would go to visit their own families. A sweet cake
called a "simnel"- named for simila=fine flour, plum cakes or cakes with
almond paste baked inside were taken to their mothers.

Origins in the Greek Goddess Cybele, the goddess of nature (whom the Greeks
got from the Phrygians) and Roman festivities held to honor motherhood.  

England - In the 17th Century, Christians went once a year to pay their
respects to the cathedral or mother church of their religion. The huge
gatherings gave so many people a chance to have family reunions that they
began to call it "going a-mothering", and they brought their mothers flowers
and cakes for the occasion. The custom died out in the 18th cent. But
American soldiers stationed in England during WWII, who observed the U.S.
Mother's Day, reminded the English of their own tradition and contributed to
its revival. 


MAR 27

Ceremony of Washing - Ancient Rome - Traditional Spring Cleaning Day

Vikrama Samvat * - Hindu -  The beginning of Spring, when the Goddess of
Nature is bedecked as a divine bride.  A combination of bitter neem leaves
and sweet jaggery is eaten, to signify conflicting aspects of human life:
joy and sorrow, success and failure, ecstasy and agony.  

Holi* - Hindu - To celebrate the end of the spring harvest and the end of
winter in India and, some people say, the time long ago when the evil witch
Holika was burned, people light bonfires on the eve of Holi. The next day
children and adults throw water and colored powders at each other. Soon
everyone is covered with the colors of spring. It is a holiday of mirth and
merriment.  Games depicting the pranks of the infant Krishna are played by
boys singing and dancing.  

Festival of Ostara - Saxon - "Season of the Growing Sun".  A 2 day 'Coming
of Spring' festival.   

Alp Aufzug* - Switzerland - "Ascent" marks the time when herdsmen lead their
goats and cattle up to mountain pastures for the summer. Considered the
beginning of spring, everyone wears bright costumes, decorate the best
animals with flowers, and parade with the pails and cheese-making equipment.


Sunday before Easter

Palm Sunday* - Christian - Commemorates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. People
greeted Him by waving palm branches, and today many churches distribute and
bless palms as part of the service. 

Pax Cakes Distribution* (16th Cent) Hereforshire, England - Under the will
of Lady Scudomore, cakes and ale were presented to the congregation at the
Palm Sunday service to promote peace and good fellowship.  

Seschselauten* - Switzerland - On the first day of Zurich's Spring Festival,
The "Six O' Clock Ringing", there's a children's parade through town. On the
second day, dressed in medieval costumes and carrying banners, members of
the town's historic craft guilds march the same route. The tailors chase the
children with huge scissors. The bakers hand out pastries. At 6pm when the
bells chime, everyone gathers in the town square where the Boegg, a big
white figure of winter stuffed with straw and firecrackers, goes up in a
burst of flames.

Ra-Ra* - Haiti - Every day between Palm Sunday and Easter groups of
people-The Ra-Ra- come down from the hills to dance for money. Each dancer
is dressed in a red shirt and carries a red flag. Some of them beat drums;
some crack whips; some carry kerosene lanterns. As soon as the crowd sees
the group's leader, they cry "Ra-Ra!" The dance celebrates spring but also
mourns the death of Jesus. Throughout the 3 days before Easter the Ra-Ra
dance intensely, and on Easter Sunday they stop.

Maundy Thursday, Royal Maundy (14th Cent) Britain's oldest charity, it was
started by Edward III.  Until 1689 the sovereign went to Westminster Abbey
the day before Good Friday to wash the feet of the poor.  Since James II,
special minted coins have been given out instead.  

Green Thursday - The Thursday before Easter, the day that Jesus washed the
feet of the disciples.  In Czechoslovakia, "Judases"- cakes made to look
like twisted ropes- are made and dipped in honey to suggest the fate of
Judas on this day.  Honey is a preventative against disaster. On this day
they also bake a lamb-shaped cake for the Lamb of God to be served on Easter
Sunday.

Good Friday* - Christian - Commemorates the day Jesus was convicted of
treason against the Roman Empire and crucified. Many people observe the day
with solemn services or processions that reenact Jesus' walk to His death,
carrying his own cross. Supposedly on His way to Golgotha, He stopped at the
door of a woman who was baking and asked for bread.  She thought he was just
a poor misfortunate sentenced to die, so she brought him in and gave him
bread and water.  Legend says He has blessed all women who bake on Good
Friday.  

Hot Cross Buns - traditionally associated with Good Friday.  Early Egyptians
offered their moon goddess cakes marked with horns symbolic of the horned ox
they sacrificed at the altar. Early Greeks presented horn-inscribed cakes to
Astarte and other deities.   The Romans ate cross-bread at sacrificial
feasts, and the Saxons inscribed loaves with a cross in honor of Eostre, the
goddess of light (See Easter).   

Marble Championship - Tinsley Green, Sussex, England - In 1600 two rivals
dueled over a lover with a game of marbles.  Since then, there has been a
marbles championship held in their memory.  

Bermuda - In the 19th century, a teacher who had trouble explaining Jesus'
Ascension into heaven brought his class to the highest hill on the island,
where he launched a kite with an image of Jesus. When the line ran out, he
cut it, and children have flown kites on Good Friday ever since. 

Vigil of Easter* Many churches celebrate the day between Jesus' Crucifixion
and His Resurrection, with an Easter vigil service. Worshipers reflect on
His suffering and death. Mexico- many people make ugly effigy of Judas,
stuff it with firecrackers, and hang it over a street. Then they ignite the
evil Judas and he explodes. Children scramble for the candies and little
gifts that spurt out of him.

White Saturday - Czechoslovakia - is the favorite time to decorate the eggs
that have been taken to church and blessed.

Easter* - Christian - Celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus. Mary Magdalene
and some companions visited the tomb of Jesus, and the Angel of the Lord
appeared and told them He was risen. Legend has it that the sun jumps for
joy on Easter morning, so many churches have sunrise services. In the 8th
century the Venerable Bede suggested that the word "Easter" may have come
from Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic goddess of spring and
fertility. Saxons ate cross-inscribed loaves in her honor.  Her symbol was a
hare, which may explain the custom of the Easter hare, or rabbit, who brings
Easter eggs. The egg may have become a special Easter symbol of rebirth
because eggs were long one of the foods forbidden during Lent. The use of
Easter Eggs among Christians came into use around 700 AD.  The tradition of
coloring eggs probably began with medieval travelers to Egypt and Persia,
where people colored eggs for their spring festivals.  Red eggs symbolized
the Blood of Christ, a chicken meant the fulfillment of one's dreams, the
sun presages good luck,  flowers for love and understanding, good health is
assured by a deer or a stag, and prosperity by a pig.  In Lancastershire,
England, the children participate in Pace-Egging, where they roll Easter
eggs down a hill.  It was said to commemorate Christ's tomb stone rolling
away from the crypt.   Norsemen also had the word Eostur, Eastur, Ostara, or
Ostar, meaning season of the growing sun.  (This is the latest day on which
Easter Sunday can occur.  The earliest day on which it can fall is March
22nd.)

Lambri* - Greece - "Bright Day" is how Greeks describe Easter. The night
before, all lights go out. At midnight, a priest enters holding a candle,
proclaiming the Resurrection of Christ. His candle is used to light the
candles every person holds. The church bells ring, ships sound their
whistles, and firecrackers go off. Afterward, people celebrate with dancing,
roast lamb, and Easter eggs, which Greeks dye red only.


Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:46:21 -0400
From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Easter Observances
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

I collect books on calendar customs and folklore.
Not all on foods either; many have to do with the topic
of play and seasonal customs.

 Besides Google books these days, one can use the online
Book of Days which was designed to consist of:
Matters connected with the Church Calendar, including the Popular 
Festivals, Saints' Days, and other Holidays, with illustrations of 
Christian Antiquities in general;
http://www.thebookofdays.com/indexes/traditions.htm

Saints and Catholic customs can be found at
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/

Johnnae


Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2009 13:35:18 -0500
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at att.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Easter Observances
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

<<< I have been collecting information about holiday celebrations and
observations for many years.  A lot of it is random and unedited, but I am
going to throw it out here to see if it rings any bells for anyone.  I am
always interested to hear family traditions that either confirm or debunk
what I've found.

Christianna

Mothering Sunday* - Feudal Europe - On Laetare Sunday (mid-Lent) in spring,
"fostered" children would go to visit their own families. A sweet cake
called a "simnel"- named for simila=fine flour, plum cakes or cakes with
almond paste baked inside were taken to their mothers. >>>

This is misleading.  It references Feudal Europe and roughly describes a 
modern simnel cake.  The term simnel first appears about the 13th Century 
and it describes a small loaf of bread (possibly filled with almond paste 
although my opinion is that it came later, possibly in the 17th Century) 
baked in a hand raised pastry shell which forms the bottom and sides of the 
loaf.  The earliest references consider the simnel to be "twice baked." but 
later descriptions give the simnel as boiled, then baked.  The pastry shell 
first disappears in a recipe from 1894.

A wood cut in Chambers Book of Days (1864) shows large and small simnels 
having a copped outer crust and a filled center.(Fig. 1)  Chambers describes 
simnels as:

"...raised cakes, the crust of which is made of fine flour and water, with 
sufficient saffron to give it a deep yellow colour, and the interior is 
filled with the materials of a very rich plum-cake, with plenty of candied 
lemon peel, and other good things. They are made up very stiff; tied up in a 
cloth, and boiled for several hours, after which they are brushed over with 
egg, and then baked. When ready for sale the crust is as hard as if made of 
wood..."

C. Anne Wilson thinks that the simnel may be a combination of recipes for 
placenta and emeum and is a continuation of the Roman holiday baking.

And to quote myself,  "Mothering Sunday has been a common name for Laetare 
Sunday since the Dark Ages.  Originally Lent commenced on Shrove Sunday and 
consisted of was thirty-six days of fasting.  Laetare Sunday occurred at 
Mid-Lent and served as a break from the austere fasting rules of Lent. 
Apprentices were free to visit their families and gifts were given to the 
Mother Church.  Four days were added to early on, but the tradition of 
Mothering Sunday continued and was brought into the Protestant churches with 
altered meaning.

It was common among the Romans to make gifts and sacrifices of fine 
pastries, including placenta, during religious festivals.  It is likely that 
the custom continued under Christianity and it is probable that the simnel 
is an evolution of placenta used in the old Roman fashion as a gift at 
Mid-Lent or Easter.

While absolute proof of the origin of the simnel is lost to us, it appears 
related to the Roman pastry placenta in that it has a hard outer shell and a 
soft inner bread filling.  Like placenta, simnel became gift for religious 
holidays, possibly with an enriched filling for Mid-Lent.  If Wilson's idea 
that the simnel is derived from two separate recipes is correct, then this 
would the first step in its evolution."  (Simnels:  From Fine Bread to Fancy 
Cake, presented at the Serve It Forth! 3rd Conference on European Cooking

From Rome to the Renaissance, 2005).

Bear


Date: Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:31:43 -0400
From: "Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius" <adamantius1 at verizon.net>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] An overlooked feast day of culinary
	significance...
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Wednesday, June 24th, was the feast of Saint John the Baptist.

For those of you who celebrate such things, a belated happy one to  
you. For those of you who don't, you can still celebrate the official  
date which, according to Le Menagier, you begin gathering your green  
walnuts for making mixed preserves/compost, the official beginning of  
cherry season in a number of countries/cultures, and the official  
kickoff of the big Danish herring season (as in, when the fleets go  
out, people eat raw fillets with funky garnishes while dancing in the  
streets of Copenhagen, the economic dominance of the Hanseatic League  
is once again safeguarded, or something like that, etc.)

Adamantius


To: 	CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
Date:    Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:07:30 -0600
From:    Lorraine Gehring <lorrainegehring at KC.SUREWEST.NET>
Subject: Re: Samhain and sot

<<< Those of us who have studied what history there is know that different 
groups had different holy days. Isn't that the way of all religions? >>>

True in one sense, Your Grace. However, a lot of those other holy days 
share the same days on the calendar.

Samhain (October 31) -- All Hallow's Eve, followed on November 1 by All 
Hallows (All Saints Day) and on November 2 by All Souls Day, only a few 
days away from the Mexican Day of the Dead celebration. I'm sensing a theme 
here.

Yule (December 21/22) -- Gardener moved this to the date of the solstice 
now. But it was December 25 in Caesar's original Julian calendar. And we 
all know what holiday falls on December 25, right? Saturnalia, of course.

Imbolc (February 2) -- Candlemas. Why you had to bring candles to church to 
be blessed I really don't know.

Ostara (March 20/21) -- Again, moved to the actual equinox. But it would 
have been March 25 before -- Lady Day, the day Mary became pregnant (as 
long as you don't read the Gospels). It was the preferred new year's day 
for a lot of Europe.

Beltaine (May 1) -- May Day. This one appears to have remained mostly 
pagan-ish in Europe.

Lammas (June 20/21) -- Midsummer Day on the summer solstice. But it used to 
be celebrated on June 24/25, and June 24 is John the Baptist's birthday. 
The Christians tried, but John's birthday was no Christmas. This one 
remained mostly pagan.

Lughnasadh (August 1) -- I know it's Lughnasadh in Ireland, but I thought 
this was Lammas, at least in England -- the Anglo Saxon "loaf mass." This 
was the holiday for baking bread with the first of the winter wheat harvest 
and for blessing the fields. It was also associated with berries and "first 
fruit." Still pretty agricultural/pagan.

Mabon (September 21/22) -- Fall equinox, once on the 24/25, too. September 
24 was the new year for some medieval people, particularly in parts of the 
Holy Roman Empire. It was new year for the early Egyptians. Rosh Hashannah 
floats, but it's still in this general area.

Easter and everything associated with it (Ash Wednesday to 
Pentecost/Whitsunday) takes up a lot of the spring and early summer 
calendar, too. So not all Christian holidays were layered onto existing 
northern European holidays. Some were layered onto original Jewish 
holidays. :-)

Lorraine
PS: At least Whitsunday appears to be wholly original.


To: 	CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
Date:    Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:57:09 -0600
From:    Thomas von Holthausen <tvh.b3r.calontir at GMAIL.COM>Subject: Re: Samhain and sot

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
--------------070603020805070204040005
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

This discussion of Samhain and pagan feast days touches on my academic area. Much of the following information is taken from Thomas J. Talley, The Origins of the Liturgical Year, Pueblo, Collegeville, 1986. 

All the major Christian holidays are based on the Jewish calendar which 
has two "new year's day" events, based on two older traditions, in turn, if I remember correctly, based on two different agricultural cycles, barley and wheat. 

The English name Easter does derive from the pagan Eostre, but the 
timing of the feast derives from the Jewish calendar and the official 
name of the day reflects that, The Passover of the Lord, or Pascha.  
Christianity also celebrates Pentecost, but as a feast of the coming of 
the Holy Spirit rather than with the original Jewish meaning which 
escapes my mind just now.  Regardless, is fifty [pente] days after Passover.

The logic of the other Christian dates depends upon the date of Passover and a cyclic view of history.
The cyclic view suggests that the date of the death of Jesus should also be the date of the conception.

The Jewish date of Passover is 14 Nissan.  As others have pointed out, 
the Roman calendar equivalent was 25 March. 
Nine months later would be the birth date, 25 December.  The date for 
Christmas was selected for that reason, not to replace a pagan feast.  
The dates coincide because the pagan and Jewish feasts were separately 
based on the solstice and the human gestation period is the same as the 
length of time from an equinox to the second solstice following. 

Their remains the tradition of celebrating the birth of Jesus on 6 
January in some Eastern Churches because of disagreements within 
Christianity on how to adjust dates for the changing Roman calendar, but that is another dissertation. If you really care about why Easter 
remains a movable feast based on the Spring Equinox and phases of the 
moon instead of being fixed on 25 March, please contact me off list with the subject line: Quartodecians.

As an aside, the feast of the Unconquered Sun was established three 
centuries later by one of the last pagan Roman emperors, possibly to 
compete with the growing Christian Christmas celebration.

The dates for the conception and birth of John the Baptist are based on 
the Gospel of Luke account saying that Elizabeth was six months pregnant when the Annunciation of the conception of Jesus was made, 25 March according to the cyclic theory.  So John would have been conceived on 25 September and born on 25 June.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church and other Eastern Christian Churches, St 
John the Baptist is usually called St John the Forerunner, a title also 
used sometimes in the West.   This title indicates that the purpose of 
his ministry was to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus. In the East and West, the Feast of John's nativity is celebrated on June 24.

In addition to the birth of John the Baptist, the Orthodox Church also commemorates September 23 as the Conception of St John the Forerunner and the Commemoration of Sts. Zechariah and Elizabeth, his parents. 

May first, as of 1955, is the Christian feast of St. Joseph the Worker 
in contrast with May Day as the holiday of workers celebrated by 
socialists and communists.  This is a little weird, because May in also 
the Month of Mary.  Beginning it with a feast for Joseph seems a triumph of politics over devotion.  I guess I need to look up what the church previously celebrated on May first.  Back to the library, unless someone has handy a period Missal and can easily look up the feast for 1 May in a particular year of publication.

I had most of the above information either clear in my memory or ready 
to hand in Talley.

One of my reasons for interest in the date for Samhain is that I am 
still trying to find out if, like the Jewish origins of Easter and 
Christmas and the widely dispersed supposition that Christmas was 
established to displace a pagan feast, the feasts of All Saints and All 
Souls have instead a parallel development or Jewish origin for their 
dates rather than the date being chosen to displace something else.  I 
do not have a handy resource to answer this with any academic 
definitiveness. 

Herr Thomas von Holthausen
Barony of Three Rivers, Calontir


From: Dorcas or Jean <dorcas_jean at YAHOO.COM>
Date: April 1, 2010 3:32:18 PM CDT
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] OT Holiday Question

--- On Thu, 4/1/10, 'wela Brown <hywela91 at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
<<< You all how curious I am, so:  What does Maundy Thursday mean?

Hywela >>>

Behold the power of teh Google:

[From Middle English maunde, ceremony of washing the feet of the poor on this day, from Old French mande, from Latin (novum) mandtum, (new) commandment (from Jesus's words to the Apostles after washing their feet, John 13:34); see  mandate.]

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Maundy+Thursday

Dorcas
well-informed Pagan


From: Lady Tanwen <ladytanwen at GMAIL.COM>
Date: November 24, 2009 8:26:33 AM CST
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
Subject: [CALONTIR] Candlemas, Imbolc & Lent

Thomas' post prompted a little research of my own, and thank you for triggering the thirst for the knowledge Thomas.  At any rate, this is what I found. 

And February 1st then brings us to Imbolc.  There various derivations are Imbolc which is derived from Ol-mec or ewes milk signifying the ewes have begun lactating and Im-bolg (swelling belly)  in honor of the swelling belly of the earth goddess.  February 1st is the celebration of St. Brigid who began as a pagan goddess and ended up a Christian saint.  She was the goddess of fire and fertility.  In her temple at Kildare, vestal virgins tended an eternal fire. On her feast day, her statue was washed in the sea (purification) and then carried in a cart through the fields surrounded by candles.
The legends about the goddess, Brigid, gradually became associated with Saint Brigid who founded the first convent in Ireland at Kildare.
February 2nd falls midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox and in many traditions is considered the beginning of spring.  

The Catholic church , as it was wont to do, found an opportunity to superimpose a Christian holiday on this pagan festival.  Jewish women went through a purification ceremony 40 days after the birth of a male child (80 days after the birth of a female child).  So in the 6th century (according to J.C. Cooper in The Aquarian Dictionary of Festivals, February 2 (which falls 39 days after Christmas) was declared the feast of the Purification of Mary. The theme of purification remained a link between the two holy days.

Interestingly enough, in Hungary,  February 2nd is called Blessing of the Candle of the Happy Woman. In Poland, it is called Mother of God Who Saves Us From Thunder.

Since Lent can sometimes begin as early as February 4th, some Candlemas customs became associated with Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras) and the beginning of Lent, which is a time of purification.
There are abundant pieces of information regarding the various religious practices of both Christian and Pagan faiths.  What's interesting to me is how so may of the religions walk hand in hand with each other and so closely resemble the other yet are so vastly different.  
Some of my most favorite authors bring the "old" traditional celebrations back to life in their books and it's because of this that I started looking into the celebrations.  What they signified, why and when (if possible) the traditions started.  

Tanwen


From: Lorraine Gehring <lorrainegehring at KC.SUREWEST.NET>
Date: November 24, 2009 10:13:29 AM CST
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Candlemas, Imbolc & Lent

At 08:26 AM 11/24/2009, you wrote:
<<< So ... February 2 (which falls 39 days after Christmas) was declared the feast of the Purification of Mary. >>>

Actually, it would be 40 days if you count like a Roman. And the early Church clearly counted like Romans.

Romans count the both the beginning day and the ending day, so it would be 40 days. Think about the Easter passage "And on the third day He rose again." From Friday afternoon to Sunday morning is not three days, not unless you count Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Sunday being the third day). That particular piece of Scripture confused me every Easter for years. 

Lorraine


Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:22:12 -0600
From: Susan Lin <susanrlin at gmail.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] candying citron

Since the spelling is a transliteration of Hebrew it's okay to spell it any
number of ways.  Sukkot, Sukkoth.  The dwelling is a Sukka(h).  The Sukkah
is a temporary structure consisting of 2, 2 1/2, 3 or 3 1/2 sides - never
4.  The roof is open to the sky.  Some people live in the for the week of
the festival others just have meals.  In religious school they would set one
up and the kids would decorate it with symbols of the fall harvest using
dried corn stalks for the "roof" - living in upstate New York that was what
we had - I'm sure in other parts of the world they use what they have.

The "religous" part is waving of the lulav and the etrog - special branches
and a special citrus fruit - one of the big things is that the little nob
that connected the fruit to the tree must remain in tact or it is no longer
"kosher".  There are of course blessings and you wave them together front,
back, left, right and then "all around".

We were taught that it commemorate that the Jewish people were farmers and
as such when it was harvest time they needed to bring the harvest in as
quickly as possible.  Instead of going home each night they built these
temporary shelters to live in while they brought in the harvest.

Shoshana

On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 4:12 PM, Ian Kusz <sprucebranch at gmail.com> wrote:

I've always seen it spelled, "Sukkot."  It's the Feast of Booths, mentioned
in the Bible/Torah.  Yeah, it's definitely period.  To commemorate the
wandering of the Children of Israel, people go out and make and decorate
booths (temporary dwellings/tabernacles) and have a big picnic and some
music and a religious observance.

In all, kind of like an SCA Event.  Only, "churchy."  Oh, excuse me,
"templey."

On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 1:14 AM, Stefan li Rous
<StefanliRous at austin.rr.com>wrote:
Devra asked:
<<< We are approaching Sukkah, the Jewish fall harvest festival, when
they sell beautiful unblemished esrog (etrog) or citrons to use in the
ceremonies. >>>

Can someone relate more details about this Sukkah? This is a Jewish holiday
that I've not heard of. I assume it is at least period and probably much
more ancient.


From: Elizabeth Bair <countessdulcia at gmail.com>
Subject: [tri-temp] History of Martinmas
Date: October 5, 2010 10:47:47 AM CDT
To: trimaris-temp at yahoogroups.com

It's come up a couple times recently that some newer members of our
fair Kingdom are confused about the name of Trimaris' Fall Crown Lyste
event - Martinmas Moot. The event is NOT named after Duke Martin and
isn't related to him in any way. So? What *is* Martinmas Moot?

Well, first off - a "moot" in Anglo-Saxon England was an assembly,
mainly of the shire, where local legal and amdinistrative issues were
dealt with.

Martinmas is actually a contraction of "Martin", meaning St. Martin of
Tours, and "Mass", which refers to the Catholic celebration of the
Eucharist. When combined in this way, the term specifically means the
day on which the Mass celebrating a specific saint is performed, thus
the day itself takes on the saint's name. In the Catholic Calendar,
nearly every day of the year has a designated saint or Holy person who
is commemorated. More important saints, especially those whose Mass
falls on or near days that were important for other reasons
(solstices, ancient holidays, etc) became associated with larger
festivals and celebrations than simply a mass or service in their
name. Medieval people didn't have desk or wall calendars, but they
knew when the various Saints Days fell, thanks to the Church. Often
you'll find in medieval documents the date is given as "X days before
Martinmas" of "X weeks after Easter" or "X days after Michaelmas" in
addition to, or even instead of, a calendar date.

St. Martin of Tours was born around A.D. 316 in Szombathely, Hungary
and grew up the son of a Roman military officer in Pavia, Italy. He
joined the Roman army and was sent to Amiens, where, on horseback, he
met a starving man begging alms at the city gates. Moved by deep
compassion, he tore his red, woolen his cloak in two with his sword
and gave half to the beggar. The next night, he had a dream in which
he saw Jesus wearing the half of the cloak he'd given away, surrounded
by angels. In the dream, Jesus asked him to look at it and to see if
he recognized it. He did, of course, and realized that he must convert
and devote his life to Christ. St. Martin's remaining piece of cloak
became a very revered relic. In fact, the building where his cloak
("cappa" in Latin) was preserved was known as the "cappella," -- the
root of our words "chapel" and "chaplain.")

There’s a lot of information available about his life and deeds – look
it up if you are interested.

St. Martin is the patron saint of beggars, vintners, equestrians,
soldiers, tailors, innkeepers, alcoholics, and geese. He is usually
depicted on horseback, handing half of his cloak to a beggar, or
relinquishing his arms. His symbol is the goose.

St. Martin's Feast is considered the first day of Winter (and the last
day of Autumn) for practical purposes, so, alluding to the snows of
that season, the Germans say that "St Martin comes riding on a white
horse." Of course, it might not feel like Winter if one is
experiencing a "St. Martin's Summer" -- the equivalent of an "Indian
Summer." It is said, too, that one can predict what sort of Winter one
will have by the conditions of St. Martin's Day: "If the geese at
Martin’s Day stand on ice, they will walk in mud at Christmas."

The Feast coincides with harvest time, the time when newly-produced
wine is ready for drinking, and the end of winter preparations,
including the butchering of animals. An old English saying is "His
Martinmas will come as it does to every hog," means "he will get his
comeuppance" or "everyone must die". Because of this, St. Martin's
Feast is much like the American Thanksgiving -- a celebration of the
earth's bounty. From the late 4th century to the late Middle Ages,
most of Western Europe, including England, engaged in a period of
fasting beginning on the day after St. Martin's Day/Martinmas. This
fast period lasted 40 days, and was, therefore, called "Quadragesima
Sancti Martini", which means in Latin "the forty days of St. Martin."
At St. Martin's eve, people ate and drank very heartily for a last
time before they started to fast. This period of fasting was later
shortened and called "Advent" by the Church.

In many countries, including Germany, Martinmas celebrations begin at
the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of this eleventh day of the
eleventh month. Bonfires were built, and children would carry lanterns
in the streets after dark, singing songs for which they are rewarded
with candy. This is may be where the American tradition of
Trick-or-Treat originated, as that is not a part of most European
Halloween celebrations.

And on a macabre final note, old superstitious folklore (not Catholic
teaching, of course!) says that if you stand in the back of the church
and look out over the congregants on St. Martin's Day, you can see
auras of light around the heads of those who will not be among the
living at the next Martinmas.

There are lots of other traditions surrounding Martinmas, or St.
Martin's Day, from all around the world. More modernly, November 11th
is also known as Veterans Day (in the US) or Armistice Day (also
Remembrance Day or Poppy Day). It commemorates the the sacrifices of
members of the armed services and of civilians in times of war,
specifically WWI. The major hostilities of World War I were formally
ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with
the German signing of the Armistice. The poppy symbol is a result of
Canadian military physician John McCrae's poem "In Flanders Fields"
which refers to the profusion of red poppies that grow in the
battlefields and cemetaries where war casualties are buried.

So that's the medieval history lesson regarding Martinmas Moot.
Mistress Alysoun has the Trimarian history lesson regarding the event
itself. =)

Dulcia


Date: Sun, 16 Jun 2013 02:10:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: JIMCHEVAL at aol.com
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Fat tuesday food question

StefanliRous at austin.rr.com writes:
<< Is Fat Tuesday different from Mardi Gras? >>

It's a direct translation.

Other terms:  Camicapium, Quaresme-prenant.

But I see no evidence that special meals were associated it with it as far back as our era.

This may be as complete a history of the day as one can find for England:

http://books.google.com/books?id=tZw9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA43&dq=%22Shrove+tuesday%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=tVS9Uc22JKGSyQGp-oGgDg&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

I've  seen condemnations of similar activities early on in France because they were so  close to the pagan rites which no doubt inspired them; the Church seems to have  gotten more tolerant over time, but possibly after our period.

Jim  Chevallier
North Hollywood, CA
www.chezjim.com

<the end>
Edited by Mark S. Harris	holidays-msg	Page 34 of 34