Lengthening

[cambrensis]

If you're hoping for a discourse on tape measures, then you will be disappointed; however, most of you know me and my meanderings by now! I am referring,of course, to the season of Lent which begins next Wednesday, Ash Wednesday. The word Lent itself refers to the days lengthening and was a word used in reference to Spring in Old English.

So on Tuesday I shall have a pile of pancakes, following a largish meal as there will be no meat on Wednesday...hmm. On Ash Wednesday I shall go to one of the Masses and have the traditional cross made on my forehead.

Where are we in the Easter Saga? Well Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and is 40 days before Easter itself. I explained how Easter Sunday was calculated last year, I believe. Lent begins 40 days before Easter itself. If you bother to count you will see a discrepancy of a few days; this is because we do not count the Sundays of Lent as they are Holy Days (Holidays) of obligation anyway. The Orthodox Church, Greek, etc., is usually 13 days earlier as they still use the Julian Calendar and not the Gregorian.

Forty is a number which keeps cropping up in the Bible and appears to mean "a longish period of time." However, I suspect that originally it had a more precise meaning. We are all used to 7 days to the week and 4 weeks to a month which gives the Lunar Year of 13 months. We get this from biblical usage. The Ancient Hebrews, however, had a major transition to make when they left Egypt and were told of the Lunar Calendar they were now to use.

The Ancient Egyptians used a Solar Calendar with 10 days to the week and 3 weeks to the month, a year of 360 days plus 5 extra days for religious festivals. Using a later Hebrew 4 week month with the old Solar Calendar would have been very long month indeed! (I'm sure you all remember "a year and a day" from childhood - 28 day month multiplied by 13 gives a year of 364 days so add one!) Their calendars were not that accurate and they did not have digital watches!

What else will I be giving up for Lent? Well, I shall give up my daily mug of Spanish Chocolate. In the main, though, we are encouraged to do something positive for others rather than give up lots and bewail our fate.

Roll on Easter!!

[HerMajesty]

I always enjoy your posts and learn something. I didn't know about the lengthening, not the skipping Sundays in the count. Whodathunkit.
A mug of Spanish chocolate. Is that hot chocolate with a dash of cinnamon? That's what Mexican chocolate is, essentially. yum.

[cambrensis]

...A mug of Spanish chocolate. Is that hot chocolate with a dash of cinnamon? That's what Mexican chocolate is, essentially. yum.

You have it! However, the chocolate should be really thick, almost spooning (swooning?) consistency....cinnamon essential!

What's in a name? Often a lot of national pride. When I was at secondary school, my great friend was of Greek Cypriot descent. Once or twice a week we'd sit in his back kitchen (it was a shop) and drink Turkish Coffee. Of course, these days they do not drink such coffee anywhere in the Hellenic world; they drink Greek Coffee!

At the moment I have a "thing" for "Om Ali" (Ali's Mum) which is a kind of glorified Bread & Butter Pudding....mmmm...This does happen from time to time. As the weight goes on, I modify my behaviour....(copious tears...) The thought will keep me going throughout Lent..."How long, oh Lord, how long....?"

When we live in a world of invented traditions (which everybody remembers but turn out to be only a few years old) - it's good to have something really ancient, however weird! The discipline is good for me, anyway...!!

[tony41]

In Spain, whenever I've had chocolate (usually with churros) it has been really thick (as you say) but without cinnamon. I think I prefer it that way.

[cambrensis]

...without cinnamon. I think I prefer it that way.

To each his own! If I'm not offered it I ask for it. Thanks for the reply...I was just off to get the weekly shop and this reminded me to check - and I did need more cinnamon! It's in the cupboard now....mmm

[cambrensis]

Just had my pancakes (too many as I made too much batter, in error - what a shame!) I finished up my choc chip icecream on three of them and the remainder had some cinnamon! I've had a little doze and feel fine, now!

[HerMajesty]

In Mexico, that is often how hot chocolate is served...…….with a dash of cinnamon. Glad you remembered to get more!

[cambrensis]

In Mexico, that is often how hot chocolate is served...…….with a dash of cinnamon. Glad you remembered to get more!

Thanks, oh Majesty!

It;s the same if you go further South as well. over 20 years ago I was in a cafe-bar with my wife and I ordered two hot chocolates at about 11 am. Alongside me as a Londoner who ordered a beer and wanted cake with it! (Yugh!) Of course he pronounced it "kike"...

Barman: Pleess?
Londoner: Kike! Gorrenny kike, mite?
Barman: Pleess?
Londoner (thinking of only foereign word for cake that he knw): Gateau!! Gorreny?
He mimed eating...I remained silent knowing it was going to be good - very good!
The barman uttered a stream of invective about this xyz mad Englishman who wanted to have a cat (gato) to eat with his beer....I've heard many gaffs in my time,but that has to rank as the best. So at this point I asked for "torta"on his behalf. Unfortunately the town's ladies had already been in having finished their shopping and eaten all the cake with morning coffee. We called in again on several occasions but dud not have a repeat performance. Such a pity - it was quite spectacular!

[HerMajesty]

HAHA! THAT is hilarious! Well, French IS pretty close to Spanish. I have made language gaffs as well, tho generally people are very forgiving if you make the effort in the first place to speak their language. I remember being in Guadalajara, Mexico, once, and asked for a drink...….I asked for Coke sin helado, which means Coke without ice cream. I intended hielo……..ice. oops. And the most common of many easy gaffs in Spanish is to speak Spanglish......and guess that if you say embarazada, you mean you are embarrassed. Actually, it means pregnant.

[cambrensis]

... if you say embarazada, you mean you are embarrassed. Actually, it means pregnant.

Si, lo entiendo bien...

I have relatives in Argentina and that gets even more confusing. There are different usages of course and different pronunciation. Spanish "y" and "ll" are pronounced as "j" (like the "s" in "pleasure".) One relative on meeting when I was about 15, speaking of Paraguay, said "Yo naci alli" which came out as "Jo nassi aji". That took all of 20 seconds to resolve! Hahaha! We had a long chat and things got much better. However, next time I was in Spain I kept slipping into that pronunciation and messing up "good and proper"!