Shrove Tuesday in England - Bizarre Traditions and Rituals
Today is Shrove Tuesday or 'Pancake Day' is it is better known in England and all over the country people will be tucking into pancakes to celebrate. Shrove Tuesday marks the beginning of Lent and was traditionally celebrated with games, dancing and feasts, as it was the last chance to use up fat, butter and eggs which could not be eaten during the Lenten feast (any excuse for a party!). The origin of the name Shrove lies in the archaic English verb "to shrive" which means to absolve people of their sins. It was common in the Middle Ages for "shriveners" (priests) to hear people's confessions at this time, to prepare them for Lent. Althought the exact date of Shrove Tuesday changes from year to year it always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday.
Traditionally it was permitted to cook pancakes between the ringing of a bell known as the "curfew bell" in the morning and the evening. Until the beginning of the 20th Century Shrove Tuesday was a half-day holiday and the bell was rung to announce the beginning of the holiday - even to this day the bell is run in certain parts of the country.
England has many ancient (and quite strange) traditions associated with Shrove Tuesday and many of these continue to this day:
1) Pancake Race - Contestants are traditionally women and must toss their pancakes in a frying pan as they race to the finish line. The winner is the first to cross the finish line having tossed their pancake a designated number of times. The tradition is said to have originated in the businessman town of Olney in 1445 when a women was so busy making pancakes that the curfew bell surprised her and she ran to church still carrying her frying pan. There is still a race held in the town of olney to this day.
2) Shrove Tuesday Ball Games (Mob Football) - Many towns throughout England held football games but the practice mostly died out with the passing of the 1835 Highways Act which banned the playing of football on public highways. However, two games have survived to the present day and the most famous of these is held in Atherstone in Warwickshire, held now for 805 years. It is possibly the most extraordinary sight you will ever see - hundreds of people gathering in the centre of the town to wrestle each other for possession of a heavy leather ball. Tied to the ball are four ribbons, one in red, one blue, one white and one gold, and the participants struggle to gather a ribbon each - and ribbon holders get a prize of £10 at the end of the game. However, the main prize is the ball itself and it is an extremely physical encounter whichprecedess the final klaxon as participants struggle to possess it. The ball may be thrown, carried or kicked and a series of scrummages can take place as the game progresses. It is a no-holds-barred contest, players are not precluded from any tactic necessary to get hold of the ball and it pays to be of stern stuff if you want to take part!
3) Pancake Greaze - This tradition has taken place at Westminster School in London every year since 1753. A pancake is prepared in advance and reinforced with horsehair - this is thrown by the head cook over the bar which used to separate the parts of the schoolroom. Elected members of the school then fight over the pancake for one minute whilstbeingg watched over by the Dean of Westminster Abbey and the Headmaster. The pupil with the largest piece at the end of the minute is the winner and is awarded a sovereign. If the cook failed to throw the pancake over the bar three time he would have been pelted (or 'booked') by heavy Latin primers and it rumored that this took place on at least oneoccasionn. This is still an extremely popular tradition, although 'booking' the cook no longer exists.
DID YOU KNOW?
The greatest number of times a pancake has been tossed in two minutes is 416, by Ralf Laue of Leipzig, Germany, on June 28, 1997, in Linz, Austria.
The worldÂs biggest pancake was cooked in Rochdale in Lancashire in 1994. It was a whopping 15 metres!
RECEIPE FOR TRADITIONAL SWEET PANCAKES
Serves 4
Ingredients:
100g/4oz Plain Flour
A pinch Salt
1 Egg
270ml/9fl.oz. Milk
Vegetable Oil for frying
Sugar to serve
Lemon or Orange juice to serve
Wedges of Lemons or Oranges to garnish
Instructions
1. Place the flour, salt, milk and egg in a large bowl and whisk until smooth and lump free. Preheat the oven to very low to keep the first lot of pancakes warm whilst you're cooking the remainder.
2. Transfer the batter to a measuring jug.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan until very hot, then pour most of it into a heatproof container, leaving just enough oil to coat the pan.
4. Pour in a little of the batter, tilting the pan to evenly cover the base with a thin layer. Fry over a moderate heat, shaking the pan gently so it doesn't stick, until the underside is golden. This will only take 1-2 minutes.
5. Using a palette knife, turn the pancakes over and cook the other side until golden.
6. Remove to a plate , cover with foil and place in the warmed oven whilst you cook the remaining pancakes in the same way.
Serving Suggestions:
Sprinkle each pancake with sugar, squeeze over fresh lemon or orange juice roll, or fold in four and garnish with lemon or orange wedges.
Spread with Jam and roll or fold in four.
Its that time of year when love is in the air - Valentines day in London.
Its that time of year when love is in the air, whether you like it or not. There is no getting away from over priced flowers, sickly chocolate confections wrapped in garish pink wrapping paper with fluffy decorations and restaurants dishing up (dubious) food of love. But who can resist the small ads in the newspapers where bunnykins declares his undying love for Miss Vamp in her dungeon. Scary but compulsive insights into other peoples lives.
But its not a commercialism. Last year on Valentine's we had a tour go out to
Stonehenge and a young American guy proposed to his English girlfriend whilst they were at Stonehenge. Fortunately she said yes. There was not a dry eye on the bus !
Tomorrow we have a special Valentines
tour to Leeds Castle, Canterbury and the lovely villages of Kent. Leeds Castle is famously known as the lovliest castle in the world and with its romantic setting on a beautiful lake, who knows what may happen !
Did you know ?
The origins of Valentine's Day, like the origins of love itself, are somewhat obscure — a combination of myth, history, destiny, chance and marketing.
Legend has it that a certain third-century priest named Valentine persisted in performing marriage ceremonies despite a ban by the Roman emperor
Claudius II (Claudius was persuaded that single men made better soldiers for his army). Thrown into jail, Valentine formed a relationship with his jailor's daughter (some say he cured her blindness) and he signed his last message to her "From your Valentine," a phrase which still gets a lot of mileage.
St. Valentine was executed on February 14, circa the year 270, and his remains (probably his, but there were two other Christian martyrs called Valentine) are now on display in the
Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin.
There are also reports of an ancient pagan custom that took place in preparation for the Roman festival of
Lupercalia, which started February 15. The names of the town's maidens would be collected and then drawn at random by the local bachelors; in this fashion couples were paired off for the year.
Third, medieval Europeans thought February 14 was the date on which the birds started to mate. (There's no record of when the bees started.) From "
Parlement of Foules," a poem by
Chaucer: "for this was on seynt Volantynys day/ Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his mate.
Starting on Valentine's Day 1400, the French royal court held a Cour Amoreuse, in which ministers met after mass in "joyous recreation and talk about love." Love poems were presented before the ladies, who judged them and awarded a golden crown for the best one.
St. Valentine's Day was on the official Church list of feast days from 496, when Pope
Gelasius I established it, until 1969, when Pope
Paul VI dropped it from the calendar.
The first valentine on record was sent in 1415 by
Charles, duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the
Tower of London. That message is on display in the
British Library. In the 1840s a Massachusetts woman called
Esther Howland came up with the idea of mass-producing Valentine's Day cards; now, about a billion are sent yearly, mostly by women.
With thanks to
http://www.answers.com/topic/st-valentine-s-dayThe Hidden Messages In Your Bouquet...Red roses are traditionally associated with St Valentine's Day; to many people they symbolise passion, true love, romance. To some, however, they can also symbolise lack of originality!
And on the subject of love is always nice to get a warm thank you from satisfied clients. What a lovely lady. Just wanted to say I had a great time on December 17th when I did the Stones& Bones Tour. Our Tour Guide, was very informative and wonderfullykind. I found out so much information (which I love). I would go onanother Tour with Astral Travel anytime. I have some friends going toLondon in February and have recommended that they contact you to do a Tour.
Love and hugs,Wendy Flynn
Exciting New Tours for the New Season
Did You Know.
'Blighty' is another nickname for Britain. In the first World War, soldiers would pray for a 'blighty'. This was a wound that would get them back to 'Blighty' for treatment. Some people say it's a corruption 0f 'beauty' but more probably it's derived from a Hindu word meaning 'stranger' and picked up by the British while ruling India.
Just wanted to say I had a great time on December 17th when I did the Stones & Bones Tour. David, our Tour Guide, was very informative and wonderfully kind. I found out so much information (which I love). I would go on another Tour with Astral Travel anytime. I have some friends going to London in February and have recommended that they contact you to do a Tour.
Love & hugs,Wendy
January 26th 2006
Hello from everyone on the Astral team,
It has been quite a while since the last blog but don't think think that the office has been taking it easy (even though it would have been well deserved afterthe bust Christmas and New Year period). With most of the office still recovering from post-Christmas blues mainly caused by receiving our January credit card bills we have cheered ourselves up by developing some new itineraries for our guests this summer.
From March we will be introducing the new
Romans, Royals and Ruins tour - a brand new itinenary for Astral visiting Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath with a scenic drive through the Cotswolds.
Highlights: » Entrance to Windsor Castle » Walking tour of Windsor Castle » See where Prince William went to school » See John F Kennedy memorial » The Roman City of Bath » Stonehenge » The Cotswolds
This tour visits Bath, Stonehenge, the Cotswolds and Windsor Castle. All entrance fees are included.
Discover the secrets of Stonehenge and hear about the many myths, legends and mysteries associated with this awe inspiring ancient monument.
A short drive then takes us to Bath, famous for its elegant Georgian architecture, beautiful crescents, terraces and squares. Our panoramic tour will give you a comprehensive introduction to the highlights of this World Heritage city and its long history dating back to Celtic times. Visit the Roman Baths and Museum - feel the heat of millions of gallons of naturally hot water that bubble up here every day, see the temple of Minerva goddess of the thermal spring and visit the bath house where people bathed nearly 2000 years ago. There is also time for your own exploration, shopping, lunch and gargoyle spotting !
As we head back towards London we finish the day with a visit to Windsor castle. Home to the Royal Family for over 900 years from William the Conqueror to Queen Elizabeth II, the castle provides a fascinating insight into the history and life of the royals. See the lavishly decorated State Apartments still used today for State occasions and royal receptions, St Georges Chapel, the burial place of monarchs through the ages and Queen Mary’s Dolls House.
We also drive through Runnymede where King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215 and see the John F Kennedy Memorial.
N.B Due to the limited 'day light' hours in the winter months this tour operates March - October. Our similar Roman, Royals and Gargoyles tour operates all year
This full day tour departs every Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sun from Central London. 8.15am - 6.30pm.
Free pick up from most Central London Hotels.
Adult Price: £65
Child Price: £59 (3 - 16 yrs)
Including all relevant entrance fees:
Stonehenge - 5.50 pounds per person
Roman Bath Museum - 9.50 pounds per personWindsor Castle - 13.50 pounds per person
Also from March we will be including the White Cliffs of Dover on the
Pilgrims Progess tour and Blenheim Gardens on the
Cotswolds Connection tour.
Roman Pump Room Re-Opens In BathOne of the most popular destinations for our visitors is the Medieval City of Bath and today heralds the re-opening of the historic pump room after a month-long £100,000 refurbishment. The reason for the refurbishment was explained by Iain Johnston, of Bath and North East Somerset Council, who said: "When we got up close to the ceiling we discovered very severe nicotine staining". The walls have been repainted in shades of pale green, blue-grey, cream and white. Mr Johnston added, "Fortunately the ban on smoking in public buildings means that this will not be a problem in future."
The refurbishment was financed from visitor income at the council-run Roman Baths and Pump Room site. So, if you have visited the museum you can feel proud that you have aided the continued beauty of this attraction.
Our tours spend well over three hours in Bath and we offer plenty of time for personal sightseeing. If you are literary minded then you should definately pay a visit to the Jane Austen Centre, a new permanent exhibition which tells the story of Jane's Bath experience - the effect that living here had on her and her writing.
Jane Austen is perhaps the best known and best loved of Bath's many famous residents and visitors. She paid two long visits here towards the end of the eighteenth century, and from 1801 to 1806 Bath was her home. Her intimate knowledge of the city is reflected in two of her novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, which are largely set in Bath. The city is still very much as Jane Austen knew it, preserving in its streets, public buildings and townscapes the elegant well-ordered world that she portrays so brilliantly in her novels. Now the pleasure of exploring Jane Austen's Bath can be enhanced by visiting the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street. Here, in a Georgian town house in the heart of the city, the visitor can find out more about Bath in Jane Austen's time and the importance of Bath in her life and work.
We have an attractive shop which offers an unrivalled selection of Jane Austen related books, videos, CD's, cassettes, cards, stationery, lace and needlepoint.
Astral are pleased to offer a discount to anyone who wishes to visit the centre during any of these tours -
History and Mystery tour,
Culture Vulture tour,
Romans, Royals and Gargoyles tour and
Romans, Royals and Ruins tour.
For more information on the Jane Austen centre please visit
http://www.janeausten.co.uk/Bye for now,
Sarah
