28 February - Saint Romanus

Weather - St. Romanus bright and clear, indicates a goodly year

In the territory of Lyons, on Mount Jura, the demise of St. Romanus, abbot, who was the first to lead the eremitical life there.  His reputation for virtues and miracles brought under his guidance numerous monks.

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The Martyrology also remembers St. Caerealis  of Alexandria, patron of breakfast from a box, of which nothing more is known, not even the year that he was martyred with Pupulus, Caius, and Sarpion.

[I made up the part about his patronage]

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This is Kalevala Day in Finland.

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This being the eve of the first of March and St. David’s day, there are a few superstitions and traditions:

“If you wish to see a vision of your future spouse, walk silently three times around the leek bed tonight.” (No word yet on whether the vision shows up in the leek bed or in your bed (in your dreams, of course!))

“If you walk in the churchyard at midnight, you will see the corpse-candles floating above the graves of those families who will suffer a death in the coming year.” [The only person who might be interested is the sexton, who can plan his annual budget accordingly.  Oh, and heirs, of course.  Although the candles don’t exactly say who in the family is going to die…]

An Albanian tradition is to throw a clod of earth in which a few drops of wolf’s milk is kneaded, at the door of the barn so that the cows and goats will milk well that year…  [okay, who volunteers to milk the wolf?  It’s bad enough when Bossy doesn’t care to be milked – she merely plants a hoof amidships and calmly watches you stagger away in pain.  Madame Wolf has other ways of showing her displeasure to those who take unwarrantable liberties with her person, most of which involve her well-honed teeth.]

Another Albanian tradition is to wash with wine to prevent any vermin from touching them [take note, you who are terrified of bed-bugs] and then impale a flea on a new needle so that no other flea will dare to come near them [pour encourager les autres, no doubt]. 

The Albanians have the coolest traditions.

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Artwork:

The Capitoline Wolf, Musei Capitolini, Rome, Italy, swiped from Wikipedia

5 July - Tynwald Day

Tynwald flag

This is Tynwald Day, the national day of the Isle of Man, in which the country’s parliament, the Tynwald, meets in ancient ceremony to promulgate all bills which have received the Royal Assent, and to hear petitions for redress.

“The observer at St. John's on 5th July, the Manx National Day, watches a ceremony which has continued unchanged, except in detail, for more than 1,000 years. The annual outdoor sittings of Tynwald, the Manx Parliament, date back to the Viking settlements which began in the eighth century of the first millennium AD. No other parliament in the world has such a long unbroken record.”     Tynwald - Parliament of the Isle of Man - History   

The ceremonies and processions take place at St. John’s, beginning with the inspection of the Guard of Honor and the laying of a wreath at the war memorial, followed by a religious service in the Chapel of St. John the Baptist, and the great procession to Tynwald Hill where the laws are proclaimed.  When the business of the day is finished, the Tynwald returns to St. John’s Chapel to sign documents attesting to the promulgation of the laws and to move all outstanding business to a subsequent date. (Wikipedia describes the ceremonies of the day at length.)

Then the real fun begins, for a day like this cannot go by without great celebration.  Tynwald Day 2012, from the Tynwald website, lists the various entertainments that will be held today: dog agility trials, music of all kinds, folk dance, displays of Manx history, including a Living History encampment of Vikings, more music, tours, an exhibition of local artists, even more music, circus performances, Punch and Judy, and fireworks. Did I mention music?  If you are anywhere near, go and enjoy.  If not, check out the many web pages devoted to the Isle of Man, its culture, and its history. 

Isle of Man flag

The best known dish, if not the National Dish, is PRIDDHAS AN’ HERRIN’ (Potatoes and Herring), an extremely simple recipe, which you can find here on Isle of Man.net.  [And I do mean simple: boiled potatoes and salt herring, served with raw onion slices and lots of butter.  So good! It will bring out the Viking in you.] 

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Artwork: Isle of Man website discusses the Manx flags here.

4 July - Independence Day in 1837

Frederick Marryat was an English naval officer and novelist, whom some of you might recognize from his novel of shipboard life, “Mr. Midshipman Easy”.  He visited North America in 1837, and published the diary of his travels in 1839 under the title, A Diary in America.  This is an excerpt from that diary, written when he was in New York City:

“The 4th of July, the sixty-first anniversary of American independence!”

“Pop—pop—bang—pop—-pop—bang—bang—bang! Mercy on us! How fortunate it is that anniversaries come only once a-year.  Well, the Americans may have great reason to be proud of this day, and of the deeds of their forefathers, but why do they get so confoundedly drunk?  Why, on this day of independence, should they become so dependent upon posts and rails for support?—The day is at last over; my head aches, but there will be many more aching heads to-morrow morning!" 

"What a combination of vowels and consonants have been put together! what strings of tropes, metaphors, and allegories have been used on this day! what varieties and graduations of eloquence!  There are at least fifty thousand cities, towns, villages, and hamlets, spread over the surface of America—in each the Declaration of Independence has been read; in all one, and in some two or three, orations have been delivered, with as much gunpowder in them as in the squibs and crackers.  But let me describe what I actually saw.”

Just as today, the police issued warnings previous to the day that those letting off fireworks would fall afoul of the law; just as today, this was answered by an immediate and continual volley of every possible form of firecracker and artillery, lasting well into the night.  How better to show our independence than by thumbing our noses at the law? 

“This continued the whole night, and thus was ushered in the great and glorious day, illumined by a bright and glaring sun (as if bespoken on purpose by the mayor and corporation), with the thermometer at 90° in the shade… in the meanwhile, the whole atmosphere was filled with independence.  Such was the quantity of American flags which were hoisted on board of the vessels, hung out of windows, or carried about by little boys, that you saw more stars at noon-day than ever could be counted on the brightest night.”

“On each side of the whole length of Broadway, were ranged booths and stands, similar to those at an English fair, and on which were displayed small plates of oysters, with a fork stuck in the board opposite to each plate; clams sweltering in the hot sun; pineapples, boiled hams, pies, puddings, barley-sugar, and many other indescribables. But what was most remarkable, Broadway being three miles long, and the booths lining each side of it, in every booth there was a roast pig, large or small, as the centre attraction. Six miles of roast pig! and that in New York city alone; and roast pig in every other city, town, hamlet, and village, in the Union. What association can there be between roast pig and independence?"

What indeed?  And to drink?  You probably have a hint already from his diatribe against inebriates…

“Let it not be supposed that there was any deficiency in the very necessary articles of potation on this auspicious day: no! the booths were loaded with porter, ale, cider, mead, brandy, wine, ginger-beer, pop, soda-water, whiskey, rum, punch, gin slings, cocktails, mint juleps, besides many other compounds, to name which nothing but the luxuriance of American-English could invent a word. Certainly the preparations in the refreshment way were most imposing, and gave you some idea of what had to be gone through with on this auspicious day. “

And of course, music!  We can’t have a celebration without music!

“Martial music sounded from a dozen quarters at once; and as you turned your head, you tacked to the first bars of a march from one band, the concluding bars of Yankee Doodle from another.  At last the troops of militia and volunteers, who had been gathering in the park and other squares, made their appearance, well dressed and well equipped, and, in honour of the day, marching as independently as they well could. I did not see them go through many manoeuvres, but there was one which they appeared to excel in, and that was grounding arms and eating pies.”

From there he went to Castle Garden to see the artillery and infantry troops in line, their officers in bright regimentals on white horses.  “The scene was very animating; the shipping at the wharfs were loaded with star-spangled banners; steamers paddling in every direction, were covered with flags; the whole beautiful Sound was alive with boats and sailing vessels, all flaunting with pennants and streamers.”

A parade followed in which neither the horses nor the troops marched in good order, the horses sometimes parting company with their riders, and wagons and other vehicles cutting into the lines.

“Notwithstanding all this, they at last arrived at the City Hall, when those who were old enough heard the Declaration of Independence read for the sixty-first time; and then it was—" Begone, brave army, and don't kick up a row."

“I was invited to dine with the mayor and corporation at the City Hall. We sat down in the Hall of Justice, and certainly, great justice was done to the dinner…   The crackers popped outside, and the champagne popped in… I waited till the thirteenth toast, the last on the paper, to wit, the ladies of America; and, having previously, in a speech from the recorder, bolted Bunker's Hill and New Orleans, I thought I might as well bolt myself, as I wished to see the fireworks, which were to be very splendid… “

“Look in any point of the compass, and you will see a shower of rockets in the sky: turn from New York to Jersey City, from Jersey City to Brooklyn, and shower is answered by shower on either side of the water.  Hoboken repeats the signal: and thus it is carried on to the east, the west, the north, and the south, from Rhode Island to the Missouri, from the Canada frontier to the Gulf of Mexico. At the various gardens the combinations were very beautiful, and exceeded anything that I had witnessed in London or Paris. …all America was in a blaze; and, in addition to this mode of manifesting its joy, all America was tipsy.”

“There is something grand in the idea of a national intoxication. In this world, vices on a grand scale dilate into virtues ; he who murders one man, is strung up with ignominy; but he who murders twenty thousand has a statue to his memory, and is handed down to posterity as a hero. A staggering individual is a laughable and, sometimes, a disgusting spectacle; but the whole of a vast continent reeling, offering a holocaust of its brains for mercies vouchsafed, is an appropriate tribute of gratitude for the rights of equality and the leveling spirit of their institutions.”

Captain [Frederick] Marryat, C.B., A Diary in America, with Remarks on Its Institutions (1839). pp 31-34.

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before our leaders, elected or otherwise, destroy it

Well, if you too have 90+ degrees in the shade (and it feels like 106), I don't recommend roasting anything else.  Poach the salmon as you did last year, chill it, and serve it on lettuce with a CUCUMBER SAUCE:

Peel 1 to 2 cucumbers, cut them in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and cut them into thin slices.  Place them in a colander, sprinkle them with salt, and let them drain for about 20 minutes.

Mix 1/2 cup of mayonnaise with 1/2 cup of sour cream.  Stir in 1 tablespoon each of chopped fresh dill and chopped fresh parsley, with salt and pepper to taste (the recipe calls for white pepper. Use what you have).

Rinse the cucumber slices and pat them dry. Stir them into the mayonnaise mixture and chill the whole until ready to serve.

Cold roast beef, chicken, ham, a cold-cut and cheese platter, chilled marinated vegetables... these are good for a heat-wave picnic.  Include lots of very cold drinks (and please remember that alcohol and heat are one deadly combination - alcohol and fireworks are another).

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Artwork: John Simpson, Portrait of Frederick Marryat, c1826.  National Portrait Gallery, London.  Swiped from Wikipedia.

15 June - Valdemarsdag; Smorrebrod

Weather: If Saint Vitus Day be rainy weather, it will rain for thirty days together.

If it rains on St. Vitus’ day, the year will be fruitful.

                 on the other hand

When it rains on St. Vitus’ day, half of the grapes will be destroyed.

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When St. Vitus’ day is rainy, the oats will not thrive.

Gardening: It is traditional to sow cabbages today.

I wrote about Saint Vitus last year.

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This is Valdemarsdag – Valdemar’s Day – in Denmark, honoring one of their greatest kings and their country’s flag.

Valdemar II “the Victorious” (1170-1241), was the younger son of Valdemar I, “the Great”.  After his elder brother’s death in 1202, he was proclaimed king with the general consent of the nation. In his own age and in those immediately succeeding his death, he was looked upon as the perfect model of a noble knight and royal hero.

The first half of his reign was an almost unbroken period of conquest and prosperity. Valdemar was invested by the Emperor Frederick with Holstein, Lauenburg, Schwerin, and other north German provinces which he had conquered, while the Pope granted him sovereignty over all heathen lands that he might convert to Christianity.   With this in mind, he embarked in 1219 on a crusade against the pagans of Estonia and their allies who were devastating the fledgling Christian communities there.

“For this purpose a most formidable naval armament was equipped, such as had never been known in the North. The fleet is said to have consisted of 1400 vessels of various descriptions; 500 were of the small light barks called snekker, containing, besides the steersman and rowers, one man-at-arms, with an archer; other 500 were long ships, called dragons or serpents, each carrying 120 men; the remaining 400 were left behind for the defense of the seacoasts. The monarch was accompanied with the flower of his nobility and prelates…”  and an army numbering, in one account, about 60,000 men.

This was terrifying enough to the locals, and they immediately capitulated.  Or said they did.  Some three days after this feigned submission, they attacked the Danes on the 15^th of June while the king and his army were at Mass.

Tradition says that the hard-fought battle was going against the Danes, when a red cloth with a white cross on it dropped from the sky, a miracle which put new heart into the Danish forces, so that they were able to defeat the Estonians.  This cloth – the Dannebrog – became the national standard.

In the years before his death, Valdemar worked to codify the mixed and heterogeneous legislation which up to this time was made at the local level.  The Code of Jutland was published at the national assembly of the Dannehof in 1240, and continued in force until 1687, when new laws were framed.

An amusing tale is told of Valdemar, in which Saint Anders, upon petitioning the king on behalf of the people of Slagelse, was told that the king would give them as much land as the holy man could ride round “on a colt a day old, during the time the king was in the bath.  He took the king at his word, and rode with such speed that the courtiers were obliged, from time to time, to run to the king in the bath, saying that if he did not make haste, St. Anders would ride round the whole country. To this act the town of Slagelse is indebted for its extensive town fields.”

Valdemar’s death in 1241 was followed by internal struggles between his three sons and a period of decay, so that his reign seemed a golden age, the height of Danish glory, when her ships ruled the waves and her warriors conquered wherever they fought.  Despite the loss of his German territories, he was regarded as the greatest of the Danish conquerors, and the most patriotic of their early kings.

So in honor of Valdemar and the Danes, fly a Danish flag and enjoy the open-faced sandwiches called SMØRREBRØD, literally “buttered bread”. 

Rye is traditional, sour rye preferred, but I’ll admit to heresy and say that I’ve also used rye crisp bread – though only for appetizer-size smorrebrod.  The first layer on the bread is butter or a savory dripping from roast pork or bacon in which onions have been fried.  After that, it is up to you.  Thin slices of raw, cooked, or smoked meat (roast beef, pâté, sausage, bacon), cooked or smoked fish and shellfish (including pickled herring), cheeses like Camembert or Danish Blue… topped with colorful garnishes: scrambled or sliced hard-boiled eggs, sliced fresh tomato, pickled cucumbers, fried onions, lemon slices, sprigs of dill or parsley…  Endless possibilities.

My favorite is Roget Laks, smoked salmon with raw onion rings, followed by a spread of Camembert topped with slices of cooked bacon and fresh tomato.  And then there’s… never mind.  Check out the smorrebrod recipes here, with photos and instructions on how to set up each creation.  He even includes instructions for curing salmon.

These are good for lunch, of course, but you can also make a festive dinner out of them, by passing the buttered bread, and then the toppings, so that everyone may build their own.  Pour a good Danish pale lager into a pilsner glass and enjoy.

Image: Coin minted for King Valdemar II of Denmark, swiped from Wikipedia.

10 June - Day of Portugal

Weather – If it rains on St. Margaret’s day, it will rain for fourteen days.

(this is the feast of St. Margaret of Scotland in the old calendar; in the new calendar, it is 16 November)

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Today is the Dia de Portugal, de Camões e das Comunidades Portuguesas

(and the Communities Portuguese can be anywhere in the world. The Smallest State, with a large Portuguese population, usually has a large celebration to match on the weekend closest to the 10^th.)

This is the national day of Portugal, honoring the descendents of Lusitania, their history and their achievements. 

The date was chosen in honor of Luís Vas de Camões, Portugal’s greatest poet, who died on this day in 1580.  He is best remembered for his epic poem, Os Lusíadas, a pæon of praise for Portugal’s voyages of exploration and discovery, most notably those of Vasco de Gama.  Read a summary of the book at Wikipedia, and the entire poem online (in English) at Project Gutenberg.

Go Lisbon has a concise history of Portugal, with places to visit from each era of its history. While you are there, check out the other pages - culture, nightlife, cuisine, and fado, not forgetting The Age of Discovery – How Portugal started globalization.

And if your area has a Portuguese celebration, go!  The food is just marvelous, and the music will have you on your feet.

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In honor of the Voyages of Discovery, have SARDINHAS DE CALDEIRADA, a stew made with sardines and/or other kinds of fish (use what you have).

Salt the fish by placing 2 pounds of fish on a platter or pan; sprinkle with ½ to 1 teaspoon of salt.  Cover and let it stand for about 3 hours (I put mine in the refrigerator).

Slice 2 large onions.

Chop fresh parsley to equal ¾ cup.

Brown the onions in ½ cup of olive oil.  Add the chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste, 2 cups of tomatoes (a 1 pound can will do – I use crushed tomatoes), 1 cup or an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, ½ cup of white wine (give the rest to the cook) and 1-1/2 cups of water.  Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Add the fish and simmer until the fish is cooked, about 10 minutes.

Serve with bread, and (if the cook left any) the white wine.

 Bom apetite!

1 January - New Year's Day

Weather: the weather today foretells the weather of January and of August.

The first three days of January rule the coming three months.

If the sun shines on the 8^th day of Christmas, then quicksilver will be easy to get [I suppose that was important]

If the wind blows from the south on the first day of January, it will blow from the south every day of that month. 

If New Year's Day in the morning opens with dusky red clouds, it denotes strife and debates among great ones, and many robberies to happen that year. 

If January kalends be summerly gay, It will be winterly weather till the kalends of May. [Which seems a pretty safe bet however 'summerly gay' the day.] 

If the Kalends, or first of January, fall on the Lord’s-day, then will the winter be good, pleasant and warm.

If the Kalends fall on Sunday, there will be a good winter, windy spring, and dry summer; and a very good year this year will be; sheep will increase, there will be much honey, and plenty and peace will be upon the earth.

If New Year’s day falls on a Sunday, then a pleasant winter doth ensue; a natural summer; fruit sufficient; harvest indifferent, yet some wine and rain; many marriages; plenty of wine and honey; death of young men and cattle; robberies in most places, news of prelates, of kings; and cruel wars in the end.

However:

But it is good for me to adhere to my God, to put my hope in the Lord God:

That I may declare all thy praises, in the gates of the daughter of Sion. (Psalm 73:28)

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This is the Octave of Christmas, the eighth day.  In the traditional calendar, this is the Feast of the Circumcision; in the new calendar it is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God; in the almanacs it is Holy Name; and for certain Orthodox Christians it is the feast of Saint Basil the Great.

In the civil calendar, this is New Year's Day - the beginning.  Look back for experience, look forward for adventure.

The Church Fathers said that today should be a solemn day of fasting and prayer, to make up for the excessive celebrations of the pagans of their day (and our own).  Prayer should certainly be a part of this day, as it should every day (and I am not talking about the prayers to the porcelain god over the excesses of last night), and fasting is probably salutary for those who have been taking in more calories than is good for them since Thanksgiving.  Fine.  Do as thou wilt.

And for those who say Christians should not celebrate a civil holiday - again, do as thou wilt.

Some of us kept a "Little Lent" all through Advent, and looked forward to the joy and celebration of Christmastide - and some of us tend to celebrate beginnings in joy and hopeful trust.  Be po-faced if you want, but by gum! I'm going to celebrate!

Speaking of po-faced, ol’ Naogeorgus couldn’t let the day go by without his sour comments:

The next to this is New Year’s Day, whereon to every friend

They costly presents in do bring, and New Year’s Gifts do send.

These gifts the husband gives his wife, and father eke the child,

And master on his men bestows the like with favor mild;

And good beginning of the year they wish and wish again,

According to the ancient guise of heathen people vain.

These eight days no man doth require his debts of any man,

Their tables do they furnish out with all the meat they can:

With marchpanes, tarts, and custards great, they drink with staring eyes,

They route and revel, feed and feast, as merry all as pies:

As if they should at th’entrance of this New Year hap to die,

Yet would they have their bellies full, and ancient friends ally.

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What you do on the first day of the year indicates the character of your actions throughout the year.

Start by offering thanks to God for his goodness to you.  Keep a bit of money in your pocket (but don't spend any) to ensure money in your pocket all year long.  Wear new clothes.  Eat, drink, and be merry to ensure abundance.  Be generous in your hospitality.  Visit with friends and wish them happiness in the new year, read the books you received for Christmas, get in touch with absent family members, enjoy one of your hobbies or start a new one, survey the garden and plan what shall go in this year...  It was a tradition in Rome for tradesmen to work a little today, as a good omen of constant business all the year.

A tradition in this country was the paying of “New Year’s calls” on all one’s acquaintance, offering them the compliments of the season, and partaking of little cakes and coffee or punch.  Later, the menu grew to include sandwiches and other buffet items, with toddies, eggnog, and chocolate to imbibe.  Nowadays, people have ‘open houses” for their friends, in which there is not set time to arrive or leave – the only requirement being that you greet your hosts and wish them a happy New Year.  Bringing a small gift doesn’t hurt. 

In some countries, this is the day of celebration and giving presents, rather than Christmas Day (as Naogeorgus laments above).  Most notable were the gifts to the English sovereign (think of all the jewels and apparel that Elizabeth I received as New Year’s gifts). Family members presented gifts to each other, employers to employees, tenants to landlords, masters to servants, and everyone to the postman, dustbin-man, and other members of the serving public.

To take the ‘sortes’ of the Bible today: This must be done fasting, so do it before breakfast.  Say a prayer first, asking for guidance.  Lay the Bible, closed, on a table.  Close your eyes, open the Book at random and place your finger on one of the two open pages.  Open your eyes and read the chapter so chosen aloud (even if you placed your finger on a single verse, read the entire chapter.)  It was believed that the good or ill-fortune of the consulting parties would be foreshsown for the coming year.  Today, we should meditate upon it, understand what it means, and take it as a guide for our future conduct.

The first carol singer to come to your door on New Year’s morning should be admitted through the front door, escorted through the house, and let out of the back door, in order to ensure good luck in the coming year. [Yes, we are still allowed to have carols.  It is still Christmas, after all.]

First-footing applies today, as mentioned yesterday.  Here are some of the superstitions that relate to this custom:

If a man enters your house before a woman on New Year's Day, you will have a good year.

If a woman enters the house before a man does on New Year's Day, there will be bad luck.

As the first caller on New Year's Day, a dark man brings the best luck.

As the first caller on New Year's Day, a fair-haired man brings the next best luck.

As the first caller on New Year's Day, a dark-haired woman brings the third best luck.

As the first caller on New Year's Day, a red-haired person brings bad luck.

If a woman comes on the first day of the year, someone will come every day in the year.

If a woman visits you on New Year's Day, you cannot raise chickens successfully that year.

To break something on the first day of the year causes bad luck for the remainder of the year.

Do not allow anyone to take light out of your house today, nor throw out any ashes, dirty water, or any article, however worthless.  To do so is to invite bad luck.

If you wash anything on New Year's Day, you will wash a member of the family away.

Leave the dishes until tomorrow.  While you might want to wash your brother-in-law away, there's no telling which member of the family will go.

If you dip your head into the ocean on January first, you will not be ill during the year.

There are people who go the whole hog and jump into the icy waters (no mere head dip for them!)  This year in the Smallest State, we have four "Plunges" scheduled for today - in Jamestown, Newport, Narragansett, and Warwick ("Swimmers risk hypothermia and cardiac arrest for charity". No kidding).  If you've already securely packed away your bathing suit (so that it will not be found until summer), then bundle up, make a donation to the Plungers' charity, and go support those brave souls!

For good luck, dinner tonight should be of an animal that moves forward.  Fish, ducks, and geese swim forward, and pigs root forward, so they are lucky; chickens and turkeys scratch backward, cattle and sheep paw backward, so they are unlucky.  Shellfish is a toss-up.  Of course, from the chosen entree's point of view, it is probably the other way round.

My mother said that one must eat cabbage for an increase in money; friend Amy says that one must eat black-eyed peas for good luck, and a further inducement to a prosperous year is to cook white beans on the first day of the year.  My traditional New Year's Day Dinner combines them with the forward-moving animal above: glazed ham, coleslaw and/or sauerkraut, and Hoppin' John.

I wish for you all

Joy, Blessing, Health, Wealth, Love, and Laughter

11 November - Saint Martin; Veterans Day

Weather:

The weather of St. Martin’s Eve (yesterday, November 10) is supposed to indicate the weather for the winter, and where the wind is, there it will be for the coming winter.

If All Saints Day brings out the winter, St. Martin’s Day will bring out summer.

Around St. Martin’s day, we can expect some warm weather.  This is called St. Martin’s Summer, better known in the New World as Indian Summer.

However,

At St. Martin’s Day, winter is on his way.

If there is a frost before Martinmas, the winter will be mild.

If ducks do slide at Martintide, at Christmas they will swim;

If ducks do swim at Martintide, at Christmas they will slide.

If the geese stand on ice, they will walk in mud at Christmas.

If Martinmas is fair, dry, and cold, the cold in winter will not last long. 

If the wind is in the south-west at Martinmas, it will remain there until after Christmas (Candlemas for the optimists), and we shall have a mild winter up to then and no snow to speak of.

Wind north-west at Martinmas, severe winter to come.

If the leaves of the trees and grape vines do not fall before Martin’s Day, a cold winter may be expected.

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At Tours, in France, the birthday of blessed Martin, bishop and confessor, whose life was so renowned for miracles that he received the power to raise three persons from the dead. 

Today is the feast of Saint Martin of Tours (c316-c394), the Apostle of Gaul, the Roman soldier turned bishop.  Most people recognize him as the soldier who divided his cloak to cover a beggar shivering at the gate of Amiens, and received a vision of Our Lord wearing that same half, saying “Martin has clad me in this robe.”  The saint was once so popular and important that his feast had an octave.  His richly endowed shrine at Tours became so great a place of pilgrimage that it was known as a second Jerusalem. Martin’s cape or cappela, held as a relic and carried into battle, is said to be the origin of the word ‘chapel’ as the place where the relic was kept, and that the ‘chaplain’ was originally the person entrusted with its care. He is the patron of Tours, of beggars, and of tavern-keepers and vine-growers, the latter due to the festive traditions of this day.

It is the day of Martilmasse,

Cuppes of ale should freelie passe;

Today, traditionally, the wines of the season are first tasted (and of course, one taste is never enough, is it?), which make nice accompaniments to the traditional dinners of Roast Goose or Black Pudding.  Remember to ask Saint Martin to dine with you, by sharing your dinner with someone who has nothing to eat.  As a day of great feasting and revelry, Martin’s name became synonymous with noisy drunks, and the upset stomach that followed the exuberant dinners was known as “mal de Saint-Martin”.

In the German region of Swabia, this was a day to give presents to the schoolmaster in the form of a fat goose, with corn to feed it, and wine and a large cake for the preceptor’s enjoyment.  Keeping with this tradition, this would be a good opportunity for us to send cards of thanks to our children’s teachers (or to our own).  The goose is optional.

Sour old Naogeorgus, who couldn’t stand that papist custom of celebrating whenever possible, wrote these verses on the feasting on Martin’s day (you can almost see him roll his eyes, and thank God that he was a Protestant and didn’t have such awful enjoyment of life…):

To belly cheare yet once againe doth Martin more encline,

Whom all the people worshippeth with rosted geese and wine;

Both all the day long and the night now ech man open makes

His vessels all, and of the must oft times the last he takes,

Which holy Martyn afterwarde alloweth to be wine;

Therefore they him unto the skies extol with prayse devine,

And drinking deepe in tankards large, and bowles of compasse wide

Yea, by these fees the schoolemaisters have profite great beside;

For with his scholars every one about do singing go,

Not praysing Martyn much, but at the goose rejoyceing tho’,

Whereof they oftentimes have part, and money therewithall;

For which they celebrate this feast, with song and musicke all.

Saint Martin used to call on the children of Belgium to see if they had been good (a trial run for Saint Nicholas Day).  Those who had blotted their copybook were likely to find a whip tossed on the floor as a hint of their fate, while apples, nuts, and other treats were given to the good children.  At nightfall, all would join in lantern-lit processions through the streets, with bonfires and merry-making to round out the day’s festivities.

When the dailie sportes be done,

Round the market crosse they runne,

Prentis laddes, and gallant blades,

Dancing with their gamesome maids,

Till the Beadel, stout and sowre,

Shakes his bell, and calls the houre;

Then farewell ladde and farewell lasse

To the merry night of Martilmasse.

Young ladies would try the hemp-seed charm, by walking around a table at midnight, scattering the seed.  The future husband would hopefully appear behind the sower with a scythe in his hand in the action of mowing, and the young lady would need to escape before the scythe reached her, or there might be an accident.

The old phrase “All my eye and Betty Martin”, signifying ‘nonsense!’ or ‘baloney!’, is said to be a corruption of the Latin invocation, “Mihi beata Martine” (“grant to me, blessed Martin”).  Seems rather far-fetched to me, but who am I to argue with tradition?  

Catholic Culture has more celebrations of this popular saint's day, including a cookie called "Saint Martin's Horseshoes", an easy recipe, and one that will keep the children busy forming the 'horseshoes'. 

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O blessed bishop who loved Christ the King with all thine inward parts and did not fear the sovereignty of the empire.

O Martin, sweetness, medicine, and physician.   

O holiest soul, which, if the sword of the persecutor had not taken away, nevertheless would not have lost the martyr’s palm.

Pray for us, most blessed Martin.

That we be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

O God, Who perceiveth that we withstand from no virtue of ours, grant graciously that by the intercession of blessed Martin Thy confessor and bishop we may be fortified against all adversities.  Through Christ our Lord, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, O God, world without end.  Amen.

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In the United States, this is also Veterans Day (in Canada, Remembrance Day) formerly Armistice Day, when the guns fell silent, marking the end of the World War, the War to End All Wars.  Please pause for two minutes at the eleventh hour - 11:00 am - to remember those who have served their countries - and vow to make sure that the guns really do fall silent.

For the souls of the veterans in my life: father, step-father, husband, uncles, cousins, friends, ancestors who survived to take up their bounty lands, ancestors who died leaving widows and orphans…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

May their souls rest in peace.  Amen.

12 October - Columbus Day; Spaghetti Aglio e Olio con Acciughe

...Then, pale and worn, he kept his deck,
                     And peered through darkness.  Ah, that night
          Of all dark nights!  And then a speck -
                     A light! a light! a light! a light!
          It grew; a starlit flag unfurled!
                     It grew to be Time's burst of dawn.
         He gained a world; he gave that world
                    Its grandest lesson: "On! sail on!"
                                                             - Joaquin Miller, "Columbus"

Today is the day that Christopher Columbus (or, more likely, Rodrigo de Triana, the Pinta's lookout) sighted land on his 1492 voyage to find a way to the rich Indies by a westward route.  It was observed Monday in order to give everyone three days in which to celebrate the European discoveries of our continents OR to bemoan the same.  I personally am inclined to celebrate.

So here's to you, Columbus (and de Triana) and Brendan and Verazzano and Madog and Hudson and Cabot and Eriksson and Balboa, and Cartier, and more that I cannot even remember.  And also, here's to all of those brave enough to get on small boats and large ships (over the last four centuries), leaving everything behind, the good with the bad, to start over in a new land that most likely didn't speak the same language and has a habit of looking down on immigrants other than themselves.

And they did it without searching the Internet first - "All the reviews say that the people there are cannibals.  Yuck!  And not a vegan restaurant anywhere!  Well, I'm not eating there!" - or relying on a computerized device to steer the ship in the right direction - "Turn left at the Azores.  Proceed until your crew mutinies. You have gone too far.  Make a U-turn at Panama."

Brave men.

Artwork: The Virgin of the Navigators, Alejo Fernandez, 1531-36, Seville.
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If you are interested in the foods that Columbus and his sailors would have eaten on their voyages, there are two very informative essays at the Castello Banfi website: 'Christopher Columbus - His Gastronomic Persona', and 'Recipes' from the same; both are pdf files.

According to Lucio Sorre, who wrote the above essays, the victuals on that first voyage included olive oil, vinegar, wine, honey and molasses;  flour, rice, dried chickpeas and lentils; garlic, cheese, raisins, and almonds; sardines, anchovies, salt cod, and pickled or salted beef and pork.

Sounds like they ate pretty good!

And so shall I, for my celebratory dinner will lead off with SPAGHETTI AGLIO E OLIO CON ACCIUGHE, also known as Spaghetti with Garlic, Oil, and Anchovies.

[yes, I like anchovies.  Like the above named men, I am brave.  And crazy.]

[I put my spaghetti into the boiling water at the same time as I start cooking the garlic in the oil.  The spaghetti is done and ready for the colander by the time the garlic is done, so my drained pasta does not have a chance to cool before it is dressed with the hot oil.]

For 3/4 pound of spaghetti:  Peel 3 to 5 cloves of garlic and split them lengthwise.  Put 6 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan, heat slowly, and add the garlic cloves.  Fry garlic slowly until brown on both sides.  Remove from heat.

For those who cannot face the final step, the garlic-flavored oil is now ready to toss with the cooked spaghetti.  For the rest of us: to the still-hot oil, add 20 anchovy fillets (2 to 3 cans) cut into 1/2 inch pieces.  Toss with cooked spaghetti.  Eat at once. 

The garlic pieces, by the way, are not supposed to be eaten.  That has never stopped me, of course.

Follow this gastronomic delight with a well-chilled salad.

Sail on!

5 September - Labor Day

Today, the first Monday in September, the United States celebrates Labor Day.  So drink beer (the working man's tipple) and celebrate all those who fought - and sometimes died - for decent wages and working conditions.

This year, in my research for my parish's history, I came across newspaper articles from 1866, announcing that labor unions were forming in town to push for the ten-hour day.  The local paper was in favor of this, as the usual work-day of twelve- to fourteen-hours, SIX days a week, left no time for the workers to engage in rest and recreation, which the editors deemed necessary for physical, mental, and moral health.  Nor could they work toward bettering themselves by attending evening schools.  The newspaper bemoaned that factory owners calling themselves Christians, who had actively denounced the former slavery in the Southern States, treated the people in their factories as little more than slaves; the editors applauded all efforts to redress such wrongful treatment.

(Of course, it didn't help that the workers here were mostly immigrants, without rights of any kind - and that, in the Smallest State, naturalized citizens were denied the right to vote until 1888.  The 15th Amendment didn't apply to them.)

4 July - Independence Day; Poached Salmon with Egg Sauce

Independence Day!  Remember Bunker Hill!  Remember Cowpens!  Remember Yorktown!

But first, a prayer:

We pray, Thee O Almighty and Eternal God! Who through Jesus Christ hast revealed Thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of Thy mercy, that Thy Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of Thy Name.

We pray Thee, who alone art good and holy, to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal, and sanctity of life, our chief bishop, Pope Benedict, the Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the government of his Church; our own bishop, N., all other bishops, prelates, and pastors of the Church; and especially those who are appointed to exercise amongst us the functions of the holy ministry, and conduct Thy people into the ways of salvation.

We pray Thee O God of might, wisdom, and justice! Through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with Thy Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude the President of these United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Thy people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality. Let the light of Thy divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty.

We pray for his excellency, the governor of this state, for the members of the assembly, for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they may be enabled, by Thy powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability.

We recommend likewise, to Thy unbounded mercy, all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of Thy most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal.

Finally, we pray to Thee, O Lord of mercy, to remember the souls of Thy servants departed who are gone before us with the sign of faith and repose in the sleep of peace; the souls of our parents, relatives, and friends; of those who, when living, were members of this congregation, and particularly of such as are lately deceased; of all benefactors who, by their donations or legacies to this Church, witnessed their zeal for the decency of divine worship and proved their claim to our grateful and charitable remembrance. To these, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant, we beseech Thee, a place of refreshment, light, and everlasting peace, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. Amen. Archbishop John Carroll of Baltimore, 1791.
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Now, to the celebration!

Everyone has their own traditions - attending parades, backyard barbecues, picnic lunches and dinners in the nearest park, local concerts, and watching the fireworks displays.   And the culinary feasts of the day are limited only by imagination.

So feast on Poached Salmon with Egg Sauce and new peas (traditional New England fare), or a clam boil, or barbecue (backyard or Southern).  Or set up a menu with dishes from all parts of our great country.

For one Independence Day barbecue in our yard, each family brought a dish representative of the region from which they originally hailed (military families come from all over, as you know). So among the hot dogs and hamburgers and chips and dips, we had planked salmon (Pacific Northwest), Peach Pie (South), Tamales (Southwest), Fruit and Nut Salad (trust me, that was California), Cowboy Beans (Mountain states), Polish Babka (Midwest) and Blueberry Buckle (Northeast).  A few more families, and we could have covered the rest of the United States.

Wash it all down with regional beers (or regional spring waters, if you are so inclined) and coffee (no tea!)

POACHED SALMON WITH EGG SAUCE

Wrap a washed, cleaned whole salmon (or a large piece of salmon from the center) in a piece of cheesecloth, leaving long ends for handles to remove the fish.

In a large pot, put 2 - 3 quarts of water, a bay leaf, 3 to 4 peppercorns, and a lemon slice or two.  Bring to a boil and boil for at least 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to simmering and carefully place the fish in the simmering water, taking care to have the ends of the cloth extending outside the pot.  Bring the liquid to boil again, then again reduce it to a very slow simmer (bubbles barely breaking the surface).  Cook for about 1/2 hour, or roughly 6 to 8 minutes per pound.  The fish is cooked when it flakes easily (check it after 25 minutes - you don't want to overcook the fish).

Meanwhile, make the EGG SAUCE: thinly slice 2 small onions and coarsely chop 2 hard-boiled eggs.  In a saucepan combine 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of cream, add the onion slices, 1/2 of a bay leaf and 1 whole clove, and heat until a film forms on top.  Skim the surface.

In another saucepan, over very low heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter and stir in 3 tablespoons of flour, cooking and stirring until it is smooth and bubbly.  Pour in the scalded milk and continue cooking and stirring over low heat until it bubbles.  Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.  Strain the mixture through a sieve into a saucepan, add the chopped eggs, and heat through.  Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.

When the salmon is done, lift it from the broth (using the cheesecloth handles) and remove the cheesecloth.  Place the fish on a warm platter and carefully skin.  Serve with Egg Sauce, boiled new potatoes, and boiled new peas.

1 July - Canada Day

Weather:
If the first of July be rainy weather,
'Twill rain more or less for four weeks together


If it rains on July first, it will rain seventeen days in the month.


If it rains on July first, there will be no grapes that year.


If it rains between the first and the fourth of July, it will rain for forty days.

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Today our neighbors to the north and Canadians everywhere celebrate the joining of three British colonies - Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada (which was divided into Quebec and Ontario) - to become the Dominion of Canada in 1867.

An' they jes' growed from there!  [You can find the rest of the story and a lot more at Canada History]

Congratulations!

14 June - Flag Day

Today is Flag Day in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Stars and Stripes on June 14, 1777.

"Resolved, That the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."

Fly it proudly!

30 May - Memorial Day in the U.S.

Today we honor those who paid the ultimate price for our country.

Thanks for the photo, Ron

Please pause at 15:00 (3:00 pm) and observe a moment of silence in remembrance of our honored dead.

17 May - Syttende Mai in Norway; Lefse

Today, Norway, and Norwegians everywhere, celebrate the signing of the Constitution of Norway in 1814.

As part of the Treaty of Kiel in January 1814, Norway was detached from Denmark and given to Sweden. Possibly with an eye to circumventing the treaty, the Danish Crown Prince Christian Frederick, with the help of prominent Norwegians, founded a Norwegian independence movement. A constituent assembly was called, and met in April to work out a national constitution, which was accepted on the 16th of May and signed on the following day.  Norway proclaimed its status as an independent nation and elected Christian Frederick as its king.

As you might guess, this did not go over well with the Swedish government. A short war that same summer between the two countries ended the question, more as a stalemate than a victory for either side, for while the Norwegians managed to hold their own for a time against a larger force and the inevitability of that larger force winning, the war was costly for both sides (especially when added to their debts in the Napoleonic Wars), and both sides decided to sit down and talk.

The result was that Norway was united with Sweden, but with its own constitution and its own parliament.  Christian Frederick abdicated and the Norwegian parliament elected (rather than accepted) Charles XIII of Sweden as their king, thus maintaining their view that the monarch ruled by the will of the people.  This union between Norway and Sweden lasted until 1905, when Norway again became a sovereign nation.

The celebrations of the day are patriotic without being militaristic.  The parades are colorful processions of children representing their various schools accompanied by the school marching bands; adults wear ribbons in the national colors of red, blue, and white; many participants wear the bunda or traditional costumes of their area.

As explained on the Visit Norway website: "Parades, concerts, talks, and general merrymaking are the order of the day."

For your own celebration, make LEFSE, the Norwegian flatbread:

You will need a ricer for this.

Peel 4-5 potatoes, cut them into small cubes, and cook in salted water until tender. Drain and return to the cooking pan or a bowl.  Get out the ricer, and rice the potatoes until you have 4 cups of riced potatoes.

In a bowl, mix the riced potatoes with 2-1/2 tablespoons of light cream and 2-1/2 tablespoons of lard or butter.  Chill mixture for 1 hour.

In another bowl, sift flour to equal 2 cups.  Stir 1-1/2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt into the flour.  Add this to the chilled potato mixture and blend well.

Take about 1/3 cup of the dough and form it into 2 balls.  Continue with the rest of the dough.  Chill again for 1 hour.

Lightly flour your board.  Roll out each ball into a very thin (paper-thin, says the recipe) round, about 5 inches in diameter.  [There are lefse rolling pins available, for an authentic look]

Cook on a heated griddle over low heat until griddle side is a very light tan [these are thin, so it won't take long].  Turn and cook on the other side.

Use the lefse as you would a wrap: roll up slices of boiled ham or roast beef, chicken or seafood salad, boiled brats or hot dogs, or as seen here, with slices of rakfisk (fermented trout), red onion, and a bit of sour cream [I'll substitute smoked salmon for the rakfisk].  There are more ideas here at Mrs. Olson's Lefse Recipes.

Norge alltid!