Who would have thought that our Gardening Club talk in April would include bagpipe playing?! We enjoyed an entertaining exploration of historic Easter and Spring traditions with music and flowers by Michael Brown, the ‘historic gardener’. He took us from the Feast of Candlemas in February to Whitsun in May. Here are a few of those traditions…
At Candlemas, when the church candles are blessed, if it’s sunny, winter will continue; but if it’s rainy, winter is over! In Tudor times Snowdrops were called ‘Candlemas bells’. A high church tradition is to leave Christmas decorations up until that day.
We know the saying “If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb” and 1st March, St David’s Day, is apparently when the fleas wake up! Until 1754 the New Year was on 25th March, the Feast of the Annunciation, and it was at that point that Michael treated us to a bagpipe carol celebrating the Virgin Mary.
On Shrove Tuesday the pancake race started in Olney in 1445: a woman, late for church, ran along with her pancakes. It’s now a global event! It’s followed by Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, when eggs, cheese and milk were given up; and it was not a good idea to marry in Lent.
On Mothering Sunday maids went home with violets and Simnel cake with 11 marzipan balls, each one a disciple (all except Judas). This is the time for primroses (named after Primavera), wood anemones and toothwort (good for curing toothache). Barley was sown when the blackthorn was flowering. Pax cakes were made to show fellowship with your neighbours on Palm Sunday. The Maundy Money was first distributed by King John in Winchester, one coin for each year of the reign. Hot cross buns were first made in St Albans in 1361 but beware, if you brew or bake on Good Friday, your house will burn down!
Easter flowers include the Pasque flower and the Crown Imperial with its hanging head. The Romans brought traditions around the goddess of fertility, Eostre: rabbits, hares and eggs – the first Easter eggs were red. 150 years ago the famous Fabergé eggs appeared and Cadbury’s made the first creme egg! ‘Rain on Easter Day brings good hay’ and Michael sang us a stirring song used by the Morris Men on Easter Monday to raise money.
1st April and it’s April Fool’s Day and the famous spaghetti tree! The cuckoo arrives in April, sings her song in May, changes her tune in June, and in July she flies away. Michael sang for us: ‘Sumer is icumen in’. 23rd April is St George’s Day, particularly important in Thriplow, and by now his Bluebells are flowering.
Michael played the tune “In May” on his recorder and the Maypole tune on his guitar to introduce May Day customs. We know the famous saying “Don’t cast a clout till May be out” – this refers to hawthorn flowers and not the end of the month. Never bring unlucky hawthorn into the house although it makes a nice liqueur with brandy!
We ended with Whitsun which sees the Tissington well dressing with moss and flower petals, and the Brockworth cheese rolling competition. And this was the end of our tour of quaint English customs!