Welcome to February, a month of biting weather (this month’s Full Moon is not called the Snow, or Ice Moon for nothing), love (you have two chances to overdose on romance this month, it being a leap year), new beginnings (check the bottom of the hedgerows for snowdrops and dog violets), food (PANCAKES), exercise (PANCAKE racing) and abstinence (Lent begins. Although Fritter Thursday comes the day after Lent starts so make sure whatever you give up won’t cause Fritter Woe).
I’ve had a small brain rack, and I can’t think of any tradition I normally do in February. I haven’t observed Lent for years, I have a tendency to scarf pancakes for breakfast anyway, and as we’ve already established, I’m not romantic. So I’m quite looking forward to trying new stuff out this month.
What about you though? What traditions, rituals, events, superstitions etc do you always do in February? For those reading this who’ve not read a #FolkloreFOMO post before (and let’s be fair, there has only been one other), it’s a chance for you to join in with the project and share what you do however small or large. And remember, folklore isn’t always just about the weird and the alien (wassailing with a horse’s skull), or elaborate (haggis hunting), it’s about the ordinary stuff like tax returns, looking to see what the weather’s doing, or counting birds.
A #FolkloreFOMO post is also about me racking your brains for ideas of what I can do this month. This can be something calendar custom specific like what is the correct pancake topping (poll below), or what mischief I should get up to on Nicky-Nan-Night, or general stuff like giving me the heads up on talks, events, groups, clubs, podcasts, books etc I can check out, or suggesting smidgens, for those days when sitting on the sofa is all I can manage. Despite February being pretty full on, I still have some gaps if you fancy recommending me something in the comments below or via email.
And finally, it’s a chance for a sneak preview of what’s coming up this month. My best laid plans for January regularly went awry but here are three things I’m aiming for:
6 February – start making a philosopher’s stone – does anyone have any alchemy tips they can pass on?
9 February – I’m planting potatoes on the Full Moon to harvest and eat on Whit Sunday (31 May) – are there any quick growing varieties you’d recommend?
22 February – It’s Egg Saturday, I’ll be eating eggs for every meal while watching Cool Hand Luke – do you have any go-to egg recipes I should try? Or for that matter, any constipation remedies?
Let me know your thoughts. You can also follow and tweet me @lilithepunk and through the hashtags #EverydayLore and #FolkloreFOMO on Twitter, and don’t forget to subscribe to my blog below. Have a lovely February! Don’t forget it’s Imbolc today, one of the markers for the start of spring, and I’ll be posting again later with what I’ve been up to.
Now, about those pancake toppings…
