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Nancy Harmon Jenkins's avatar

I don't just like this, I LOVE it! Especially the way you can sum up two or three hundred years of history with a quick dash of words, sprinkled with salt & pepper and maybe a little chopped garlic to boot! But what, pray tell, is the difference between Shrove Tuesday and Candelora/Candelaria, both celebrated with pancakes? Tell all, please!!!

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Elisabeth Luard's avatar

Candlemass - churching of the BVM post-partum. Time when they put the thirteen desserts away after the 40 days of Christmas in Provence is all ~I know. Pancakes - no idea! Cept maybe using up good things, celebration, voculabulary for happiness is very limited.

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Elisabeth Luard's avatar

In Provence, the children's most important task is to set up the

Christmas crib with its\santons\- little clay figures which

represent the Holy Family and the personalities of Provence: miller,

pumpkin seller, fisherman, mayor, even the Devil. A little dish of

grains is put to sprout on December 6th, to symbolise rebirth - and

that goes alonside the arrangement. Hollowed-out tangerines form

lanterns for the crib - the stalk of pith in the middle needs only a

drop of oil to make a fine scented candle.

The baby goes in the crib after midnight mass. The shepherds are

put in place on Christmas Day and the Kings make their appearanc

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Elisabeth Luard's avatar

This all that I have on Candlemass (post-partum churching of Virgin Mary)

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Aglaia KREMEZI's avatar

Adore your stories, and the no-nonsense, beautifully painted recipes!!!

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Sarah Mooney Personal Chef's avatar

A masterclass in storytelling! Loved this Elisabeth- can’t believe it is pancake day already! Will crack on scuse the pun!

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Martina Nicolls's avatar

A master class in pancakes. You do make them seem ultra good to make. Somehow i never could get them thin enough. More like injeera in texture. Not good

Is it pancake day already? And btw, Nancy, above, is asking for the diff between those two once revered celebrations. Need to know.

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Elisabeth Luard's avatar

Might have managed to post something on reply to Nancy - something palying up today that won’t let me do things!

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Elisabeth Luard's avatar

Can’t seem to post on Nancy’s - but this is all I have on Candlemass (churching of the Virgin Mary post-partum):

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Gia Yan's avatar

So nice to read about your children’s adventures…sadly no longer a part of the childhood of the past two generations!

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Paolo Peralta's avatar

Beautiful food ideas ☀️

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