http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8510000/newsid_8517100/8517157.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/feb/16/make-perfect-pancake-day
Unlike Spain, the Anglosphere does not have many public manifestations around Lent and Easter.
Christian devotions are limited to home and church, by and large.
Until the very recent past "Easter eggs" on Easter Sunday were painted boiled hens' eggs,( as in Asturias).
A number of UK places roll such eggs down hills at Easter,
In the USA, children are invited to the White house to roll eggs on the lawn.
Otherwise, Chocolate Easter eggs, once only for Aristocrats, have replaced hens' eggs since World War II.
And since Victorian times secularists, especially in the USA, having been pushing the "Easter hare" or the ( moralizing syrupy vomit-inducing "dear sweet/cute little dewy-eyed" )"Easter bunny" in children's and the general public awareness, as the replacement for any Christian symbolism or practice (True, egglaying hares at Easter are preChristian folklore.)
Also in the USA, Easter parades exist on Easter Sunday or Easter Monday.
(Originally, just ordinary folk in new clothes for Easter, plus the memory of British Whitsun. (Pentecost))
The word "Carnival" exists
but it refers mainly to exuberant public shows, like the Caribbean Notting Hill Carnival in London: In summer!
Or in the USA, a travelling circus-style show, now better-known on films than in real life, and shortened typically to "carny": a carny show, a carny boss, etc.
Minimal vocabulary used by secular English-speakers in the UK:
"Pancake Day" and "Easter"
They might not even recognize the rest of the vocabulary on this calendar!
TUE 16 FEB "SHROVE TUESDAY" AKA PANCAKE DAY*
MEAT AND FAT were given up for lent, so that frying was a good way to use up fat before lent.
WED 17 ASH WEDNESDAY : LENT starts until EASTER
SUN MARCH 14TH : MOTHER’S DAY (UK**) .
SUN 28 PALM SUNDAY : HOLY WEEK starts
MON 29MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK
TUE 30TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK
WED 31WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK
APRIL 1: April Fools day is not movable, this year it coincides with Maundy Thursday.see below
MAUNDY THURSDAY
FRI 2 GOOD FRIDAY
SAT 3 HOLY SATURDAY*** midnight EASTER**** offically starts
SUN 4 EASTER SUNDAY
MON 5 EASTER MONDAY ( a bank holiday)
TUE 6 EASTER TUESDAY
WED 7 EASTER WEDNESDAY
THU 8 EASTER THURSDAY
FRI 9 EASTER FRIDAY
SAT 10 EASTER SATURDAY
*Everyone makes pancakes.
Not everywhere has pancake races, but they're popular.
The Olney pancake race dates back to the middle of the 15th century - tradition says the first race started in 1445. About 40 videos of the Olney races are on youtube. But smaller neighborhood ,groups of friends', or children's, races are more fun.
Note: in the first video here the ingredient: "a little flour" (un poco de harina) is misunderstood as " a little flower" (una flor pequeña).
**MOTHER's day in the UK is midlent sunday.
**MOTHER's day in the UK is midlent sunday.
The more traditional name is "Mothering Sunday".
It has been on this date for hundreds of years.
The Origin was that "Laetare Sunday" in Lent, when all over Europe the Lenten Fast was relaxed, was in England the day for remembering your "mother"church:
either your diocesan cathedral or, more typically, the church where you were baptised :
this meant that servants and apprentices - there were millions of them- were permitted a day, or more, to visit their "home village/home parish" and, naturally, their own physical mother. Domestic servants had to work at Christmas and Easter and even on other Sundays, so the traditional "right" was especially appreciated.
Despite the general reformation abolition and prohibition of feasts and traditions in protestant England this tradition survived over the centuries.
A gift for Mum of a midlent cake or similar became very traditional in Victorian England. Internet has many recipes. Try "Simnel" on google.
Even when domestic servants declined from millions to perhaps hundreds, Catholic - and much Protestant - lenten observance was quite rigorous until the nineteen- sixties, so that cakes made a big -and welcome- contrast!
After independance the USA abandoned many things.
They have always tended to avoid admitting any British heritage, and to secularizing religious feasts in general.
Moreover,over the centuries, the vast mass of their domestic servants whether slave or free have always been black, with no rights, let alone to days off, by definition.
For only about a hundred years Americans have been " celebrating" "Mother's day" in May, on the second Sunday.
American sources typically only give the modern American origins of their Mother's day , which were wholly secular, sentimental, opportunistic, and commercial. If you have a strong stomach, read any of several million syrupy stories on internet.
(In the same way, their modern "Columbus day" is on a different date from Spain, Italy, or the rest of America , which avoids honoring Our Lady or having anything to do with those dreadful "Latinos" or even their own Italian immigrants.)
****Many modern people say" Easter Saturday"
**** because the shortest holiday runs from Good Friday afternoon and includes Easter Monday. This is "Easter". School holidays usually run another week or more.
Just as for Christmas and the New Year:
We say "AT Easter" in general, for more than one day.
But ON for a specific day: On Easter sunday, On Easter Monday, etc
TIP:
Use "Easter" to talk about this part of the Year especially holidays:
Example :" We're going skiing in the Alps at Easter."
But use Holy Week to talk about Spain:
"English people only think of Holy Week in Seville."
APRIL 1: April Fools day
The Origin was that "Laetare Sunday" in Lent, when all over Europe the Lenten Fast was relaxed, was in England the day for remembering your "mother"church:
either your diocesan cathedral or, more typically, the church where you were baptised :
this meant that servants and apprentices - there were millions of them- were permitted a day, or more, to visit their "home village/home parish" and, naturally, their own physical mother. Domestic servants had to work at Christmas and Easter and even on other Sundays, so the traditional "right" was especially appreciated.
Despite the general reformation abolition and prohibition of feasts and traditions in protestant England this tradition survived over the centuries.
A gift for Mum of a midlent cake or similar became very traditional in Victorian England. Internet has many recipes. Try "Simnel" on google.
Even when domestic servants declined from millions to perhaps hundreds, Catholic - and much Protestant - lenten observance was quite rigorous until the nineteen- sixties, so that cakes made a big -and welcome- contrast!
After independance the USA abandoned many things.
They have always tended to avoid admitting any British heritage, and to secularizing religious feasts in general.
Moreover,over the centuries, the vast mass of their domestic servants whether slave or free have always been black, with no rights, let alone to days off, by definition.
For only about a hundred years Americans have been " celebrating" "Mother's day" in May, on the second Sunday.
American sources typically only give the modern American origins of their Mother's day , which were wholly secular, sentimental, opportunistic, and commercial. If you have a strong stomach, read any of several million syrupy stories on internet.
(In the same way, their modern "Columbus day" is on a different date from Spain, Italy, or the rest of America , which avoids honoring Our Lady or having anything to do with those dreadful "Latinos" or even their own Italian immigrants.)
****Many modern people say" Easter Saturday"
**** because the shortest holiday runs from Good Friday afternoon and includes Easter Monday. This is "Easter". School holidays usually run another week or more.
Just as for Christmas and the New Year:
We say "AT Easter" in general, for more than one day.
But ON for a specific day: On Easter sunday, On Easter Monday, etc
TIP:
Use "Easter" to talk about this part of the Year especially holidays:
Example :" We're going skiing in the Alps at Easter."
But use Holy Week to talk about Spain:
"English people only think of Holy Week in Seville."
APRIL 1: April Fools day
