Ash Wednesday
When I was growing up in Iceland this was one of my favorite times of year. Starting with Bolludagur or Cream Puff Day, which was this Monday. We start the day by waking our parents and any other adults in the house, by banging on their duvet with a long stick, and counting the number of blows we could get, each blow meant another Cream Puff for us. This stick was made by us days before, out of a long piece of wood and decorated with strips of crepe paper in multitude of colors.
Sprengjdagur or Eat until you explode day, was Tuesday. That day the menu consisted Salt Kjot and Baunir, a stew made out of salted lamb, yellow peas, potatoes, turnips, and in my family Sod Kokur a big dumpling like cakes made from four and water. I, as a child, loved this meal and still do.......it is on my wish list when I go to Iceland for a visit, my Uncle Eirik always makes it for me.
Then came my all time favorite day Oskudagur or Ash Wednesday. There are new customs that have evolved over the years. When I was growing up, it was the day we...the girls....tried to hang a bag filled with ashes on every male we could find. Days before we made our bags out of scraps of fabric that we had been collecting all year long. The bags were a simple construction that we hand stitched then added a long string with a bent straight pin on the end. They told the story of the what fabrics had been used for each member of the family, much like a quilt would.
My Mother has a cousin who was a seamstress and made all our dresses, I would collect the scraps of fabric left over. We made our bags in our Sewing Club, where we talked about who was going to get each bag and how we were going to hang it on their back. The boys we had a crush on got the most beautiful bags. Planing was important as the men made it hard for us to hang bags on them. They would wear Rain Slickers or Trench Coats that were impossible to hang a bag on, it was important to get the men in our household before they could put their coat on.
One of the most memorable Ash Wednesdays for me, was when there was a man who visited the Book Store, where my Mother was working. He was from a foreign country and was oblivious to the fact that on the back of his Wool Coat were numerous bags. He smiled on each child as they were hovering around him, laughing, pointing, and slapping each other on the back, at this point the boys had joined us in the fun. No doubt he was thinking how happy and friendly the children of Iceland were. By the time he left the Book Store he must have had over thirty bags on his back. As an adult, I imagine his surprise as he took of his coat back at his hotel, to discover these colorful little bags filled with ashes. I know I would have been delighted to make such a discovery.
First published March 2006.
Sprengjdagur or Eat until you explode day, was Tuesday. That day the menu consisted Salt Kjot and Baunir, a stew made out of salted lamb, yellow peas, potatoes, turnips, and in my family Sod Kokur a big dumpling like cakes made from four and water. I, as a child, loved this meal and still do.......it is on my wish list when I go to Iceland for a visit, my Uncle Eirik always makes it for me.
Then came my all time favorite day Oskudagur or Ash Wednesday. There are new customs that have evolved over the years. When I was growing up, it was the day we...the girls....tried to hang a bag filled with ashes on every male we could find. Days before we made our bags out of scraps of fabric that we had been collecting all year long. The bags were a simple construction that we hand stitched then added a long string with a bent straight pin on the end. They told the story of the what fabrics had been used for each member of the family, much like a quilt would.
My Mother has a cousin who was a seamstress and made all our dresses, I would collect the scraps of fabric left over. We made our bags in our Sewing Club, where we talked about who was going to get each bag and how we were going to hang it on their back. The boys we had a crush on got the most beautiful bags. Planing was important as the men made it hard for us to hang bags on them. They would wear Rain Slickers or Trench Coats that were impossible to hang a bag on, it was important to get the men in our household before they could put their coat on.
One of the most memorable Ash Wednesdays for me, was when there was a man who visited the Book Store, where my Mother was working. He was from a foreign country and was oblivious to the fact that on the back of his Wool Coat were numerous bags. He smiled on each child as they were hovering around him, laughing, pointing, and slapping each other on the back, at this point the boys had joined us in the fun. No doubt he was thinking how happy and friendly the children of Iceland were. By the time he left the Book Store he must have had over thirty bags on his back. As an adult, I imagine his surprise as he took of his coat back at his hotel, to discover these colorful little bags filled with ashes. I know I would have been delighted to make such a discovery.
First published March 2006.
Labels: Iceland
20 Comments:
That's a great tradition. The poor man probably wept for your thirty dead and wondered why the children of Iceland make such merriment after a funeral.
I would have been delighted too, well perhaps a little confounded by the ashes, but delighted. I love to hear stories of traditions and you tell them so well. Thanks.
I SO much enjoyed reading this and learning of your traditions! And what a wonderful way you have of relating a story! It's very early here, and this was a lovely way to begin my morning! THANK YOU! And, by the way, that lamb stew sounds mouthwatering! YUM!
What a wonderful story, Mo'a. The problem with being a melting pot (the USA) we lose all of these wonderful traditions as a community.
What is the meaning of putting the ashes on the backs of men and boys? I understand eating lots of lushious food before the Lenten fasting, but I'm not sure about this one. I imagine it's a wonderful blending of Pagen and Christian beliefs.
Doug: Poor fellow what must he have thought :)
G: Yes, the ashes would be a surprise....little did he know that most of the ashes were lava dust LOL
It is so sad how many traditions are beeing forgoten...we need to have new traditions to replace them :)
Kai: Thank you, there is a story telling tradition in my country.
Mmmmm!!! it is lovely.
Nessa: Yes, that is part of it...at the same time we get to be a part of many traditions that are brought by people from other lands.
Yes, I think you are right...the asher are probably from a time when Iceland was a Catholic country.
What a delightful post...I enjoyed this!!
I love traditions!!!
yeah, iceland.
WE sure have fun around here.
Since I am always surrounded by children, these days sure do not escape me...many a bollur has been hit out of me :) I found a good hiding place from saltkjöt og baunir this year and I dressed up as a witch and scare dnobody. I managed to place three little bags of ashes too ;)
I love the detailed story of how you would collect the fabrics for a year to make teh bags, it give steh day so much importance. I just bought fabric, and actually did sow with soem women at work. There are grand traditions in thsi country!
Gypsy Purple: They are lovely and I am happy to hear that they are still kept.
Minka: Do I take it that you don't like Saltkjot og Baunir? How can that be? :)
Sometime soon I want to be in Iceland during these three days....I did have bollur on Bolludaginn :)
Why oh why was I not born Icelandic? I only live the life voyeuristically through my Icelandic friends and course my Icelandic lover... LOL
Love hearing about all this stuff... I think you Icelanders just love to find any and every reason to eat and have fun :-)
I adore traditions!!! and rituals and all of that wonderful stuff!!! What a lovely blog you have!! I have some catching up to do, and I can't wait.. I have already been peeking around quite a bit.....Love your banner!!!
Terry: *whisper* I think you may have been Icelandic in another Life :) In any case you are in this life an honorary Icealnder, welcome to the group.
And yes, Icelanders love their fun, but you know they never need an excuse to eat...Have you ever seen as plentiful an afternoon coffee table? :)
Vanessa: Welcome, I am so happy to see you here.
Yes, I love traditions also I feel they bring families together.
The piece in the banner is my own creation called "The Awakening".
Thank you for the compliments :)
I love, love, love your stories about Iceland, Your homeland is so rich with tradtions. Tradtions are sadly lacking in the U.S.
Peace-
Linda
Thank you, Linda it makes me so happy that you like my stories :) The traditions and celebrations is one of the things I miss most about Iceland.
Hello! Thank you for your visit, I just love coming back here! It is so wonderful!!!
Vanessa: Thank you for your visit...nice to see you here :)
How delightful! I wish we still had such wonderful traditions to share, thank goodness you have shared this with us, so we can partake in the fun, with our hearts! Happy cream-puffs to you!!!
Ulla: It would be fun to have our own holiday....a happy cream-puff day ;)
Tee hee - Mo'a, actually I was born with Danish roots many generations back... no Icelandic that I know of. My sweetie and I laugh about how my ancestors conquered his... *wink I'm still doing it today.
Why the heck don't you Icelanders get fat? With all that lovely eating I would be doomed. B's uncle Magnus brought us some fine Icelandic cheese and smoked lamb... also some cod liver oil which B swears by...
Terry: I have been conquered by the Danish again :)
You go girl.
Icelanders go to the US to get fat...case in point me :( but don't worry they will as pizza, McD, and Subway are new favorites...they won't need to go to the US to have the same effects.
Cod Liver Oil is a stable in our house.
Post a Comment
Write, Speak, Create & take me back HOME!