Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day used to be a church holiday, but has changed much over the years.  The saints (there were two of them that are celebrated on February 14th), Valentine of Roma and Valentine of Terni, lived during Roman times and were martyred (put to death for their Christian faith).

Many people say that Valentine's Day is linked to the old Pagan festival of Lupercalia, but there is no evidence that they have anything to do with each other.  Valentines as it is celebrated now came into fashion in the 1400s, when Chaucer wrote about courtly love, and gifts were given of flowers or candy.  Valentine's Day is mentioned in Shakespeare's Hamlet by the character Ophelia.  

 In the 1800s elaborate greeting cards, often made of lace and gold paper, with hearts and cupids and flowers, were exchanged. The cheap postage of the time allowed the tradition of anonymous valentine cards to become popular, with sentimental verses dedicated to a loved one.

 

Fasnacht Day!

  

or Pancake Day... or Shrove Tuesday... Or Mardi Gras...

Today, February 12th of 2013 is Shrove Tuesday, the day when we use up the last of the rich expensive foods in our house to get ready for the season of Lent.  In the old days meat, milk or cream, eggs, and yeast were considered foods for the wealthiest people,  Since the season of Lent involved fasting and doing without, the Tuesday before the forty days of Lent meant using up all those good things in a huge feast.

The Pennsylvania Dutch celebrated with Fasnachts, a type of yeast doughnut deep fried in lard that the Pennsylvania Dutch would often eat smothered in Kings (cane) syrup. 

If you go to Panera's or some other bread places in the area you will find Hot Cross Buns, yeast buns studded with candied fruit and marked with the cross on the top in icing.  This is a traditional English treat for Shrove Tuesday.

Other areas of the country celebrate using the customs of their country.  In New Orleans and French settled places in the United States they call it Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday.  New Orleans used to have a huge parade where they dressed up a bull as the highlight of the parade.

Shrove Tuesday is also celebrated as Carnival in Brazil, Italy and Spain, a time of excitement and wild times with masks, costumes, and good food.

Areas settled by Scandinavians celebrate by eating pancakes with butter, sugar, jam, and whipped cream.

The Lunar New Year (Chinese New Year)

Happy New Year!

Didn't we already do this?

 February 10th is a holiday!

 What many call the Chinese New Year is the beginning of the new year for Vietnamese, Japanese, Koreans, Mongolians, and Tibetans as well.  The start of the Lunar New Year is February 10th, 2013.  In the Lunarsol (based on the movements of the moon and sun) calendar the New Year starts on a different day each year, instead of on the same day (our Gregorian Calendar year starts on January 1st each year). 

The Chinese call it The Spring Festival, and it lasts for fifteen days.  It is considered a time to be with family, let old angers go, and welcome in good fortune and happiness.

A feast of many courses, rich foods containing meat and poultry and fish, is eaten on the evening before the New Year.  The color used to decorate is red, red lanterns and cut paper decorations.  People dress in red, and  children receive money in red envelopes for good luck.  Often firecrackers are set off as well to celebrate.

Many Asian nations count their years in twelve year cycles, each named after a different animal.  This year, 2013, is The Year of the Snake.  Each year has a different element associated with it's animal (last year's animal was the dragon).  For this year the element associated with the Snake is water.