Ship of Fools: Carnival/Shrovetide joys

Thread: Carnival/Shrovetide joys Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Anna B (# 1439) on :

I've got a lovely surprise planned for friends: boxes of homemade Carnival goodies. I find the anticipation, planning, and work very happy-making.

What are others doing to celebrate, goof off, and otherwise revel in the season?

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :

I'm currently in the Recife/Olinda region in Brazil, and well, things are a bit crazy over here. Most of the time, I'm somewhere on the street, playing the trumpet.

Posted by churchgeek (# 5557) on :

Pączki!

In Detroit, "Fat Tuesday" is "Paczki Day," thanks to our historically large Polish population. Living in the SF Bay Area right now, I can't get them - or perhaps I could, with some intense effort - so last year I tried my hand at making them. I was going to this year, but I'm not sure I'll get to it. I do want to try again, though.

Maybe I'll just try to find something similar. Other European ethnicities have similar jelly donuts.

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :

I'll be making pancakes at home this year. But in other years I've taken part in Pancake and Quiz nights, or Pancake and Beetle Drive evenings at the Church Centre - the record for eating the most pancakes is still held by the Choir Master's youngest son.

But my favourite event (attended for 2 years) is the Olney pancake races and Shriving service - the event has allegedly been held in the town since 1445. I have never forgotten the surreal sight of the procession into church of the choir and vicar.... accompanied by a bevy of out-of-breath women in aprons carrying storm-tossed pancakes in frying pans!

Cowper and Newton, the famous hymn-writers, compiled the Olney Hymn Book, from which the Shriving service hymns are taken; the winner of the pancake race is presented with a hymn book of her own.

Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Chorister:

But my favourite event (attended for 2 years) is the Olney pancake races and Shriving service - the event has allegedly been held in the town since 1445. I have never forgotten the surreal sight of the procession into church of the choir and vicar.... accompanied by a bevy of out-of-breath women in aprons carrying storm-tossed pancakes in frying pans!

Cowper and Newton, the famous hymn-writers, compiled the Olney Hymn Book, from which the Shriving service hymns are taken; the winner of the pancake race is presented with a hymn book of her own.

Embarrasingly, I lived in Milton Keynes (about 15 miles away) for 18 years and never once got to see the Olney pancake race. Ho hum.

Here in France bugnes are the thing instead of pancakes. Except they're sold in the weeksleading up to Shrove Tuesday...I will have already eaten far too many by the time Shrove Tuesday arrives! Here is a picture of the tasty little doughnutty beasties. We eat ours with jam.

Posted by Anna B (# 1439) on :

LeRoc, what a wonderful image!

Churchgeek, I adore paczki. The grocery stores here have them this week, though of course the ones at the local Polish delis are superior.

Chorister, I have always wanted to see the pancake race. It's the sort of thing that a small American child sees on the news, then thinks, "What an amazing country that must be."

Dormouse, do you suppose that's where New Orleans "beignets" came from?

Posted by Jade Constable (# 17175) on :

Chorister, what fun! Our uni chaplaincy is giving away free pancakes between 12 and 2 on Shrove Tuesday, and having an Ash Wednesday service with imposition of ashes.

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