It’s St Andrew’s Day, the patron saint of Scotland. And I was going to make Tandry or Tandrew cakes, or wiggs to celebrate. But then last night, when I finally got round to looking at a recipe, I saw they had yeast in them. And even if I didn’t have a long running battle with all things yeasted, there was far too much Other Life happening today for me to spend it proving. So I went to Plan B. Sleeping naked.
St Andrew got about a bit. He’s also the patron saint of Russia, and countries like Bulgaria, Poland, and Romania like to mark his day with high jinks and a spot of love divination. So taking my cue from a bit of German folklore, I slept in my altogether last night so as to dream of my future husband.
Only I was so exhausted after last weekend’s hoo-ha, that I forgot the most important bit, asking St Andrew for his help. Which might be why I woke up this morning having dreamt of nothing. Not a sausage. Which is quite peculiar, as I usually dream of something. So I don’t know if St Andrew was trolling me, or if I was just heavy sleeping. But given my dreaming has been about as reliable as my yeast-work this year, I’m not too worried.
It’s also the full moon tonight, with possibly the best name in the full moon canon: the Darkest Depths Moon. It’s because the next full moon this year is after the tipping point of winter, so tonight’s really does usher us into the darkest depths.
So while we wait for the solstice, here’s some slightly past their prime thistles I picked this afternoon. Seeing as I couldn’t find a unicorn. Happy St Andrew’s Day!
Update: I’ve just been told these are teasels and not thistles. Well.
The Everyday Lore Project has been running since St Distaff’s Day on 7 January 2020 and will run until 12th Night on 6 January 2021. With only a month and six days to go, it’s the perfect time to subscribe! Go on, treat yourself.
Resources
Leendertz, L. (2019) The Almanac, A Seasonal Guide to 2020, London, Mitchell Beazley
https://www.scotland.org/features/st-andrews-day-tales-and-traditions
