February 2017

Today’s Pancake Day. I hope you’re busy practising your flipping skills. My husband has a very cunning twist on the traditional pancake – he bathes a slice of white bread in pancake batter and fries that – it results in the most deliciously fat pancake!

The Christian custom of pancake making on Shrove Tuesday is to finish up rich foods like eggs, milk and sugar, before the traditional fast of Lent, which starts tomorrow. Like advent before Christmas, it’s a period of preparation for a feast day, and has traditionally been about giving up bad habits. At least for Lent, that is. Read More

Today is Groundhog Day in the United States. In a few hours’ time, the people of Pennsylvania will be clustered around the hole of their famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil. If Phil comes out and sees his shadow, that means six more weeks of winter. If Phil emerges and doesn’t see his shadow, that means an early spring.

Lots of cultures around the world have a tradition like this, to mark the transition from Winter to Spring.  It’s really a way of learning from nature: if a hibernating animal thinks it’s time to come out, they’re probably right. Read More