Thursday, March 24, 2011

Friday 25 March, Maria Bebådelsedag, våffeldagen…

Jungfru Marie Bebådelsedag, Herrens bebådelse, firas den 25 mars, nio månader före jul, för att högtidlighålla att Maria genom ärkeängeln Gabriel fick veta att hon var havande med Jesus.

In the Christian calendar, Lady Day is the traditional name of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin (25 March) and the first of the four traditional Irish and English quarter days. The "Lady" was the Virgin Mary. The term derives from Middle English, when some nouns lost their genitive inflections. "Lady" would later gain an -s genitive ending, and therefore the name means "Lady's day."

Våffeldagen
Förr kallades denna dag, som var en helgdag, för vårfrudagen efter titeln vår fru för jungfru Maria. Vårfrudagen har i folkmun omformats till våffeldagen, vilket gett upphov till seden att äta våfflor denna dag. Våffeldagen är alltså fortfarande den 25 mars, trots att den kyrkliga helgdagen flyttats till en söndag.

The Swedish tradition dates at least to the 15th century, and there is even a particular day for the purpose, Våffeldagen (waffle day), which sounds like Vårfrudagen ("Our Lady's Day"), and is therefore used for the purpose. This is March 25 (nine months before Christmas), the Christian holiday of Annunciation.

Scandinavian style waffles, common throughout the Nordic countries, are thin, made in a heart-shaped waffle iron. The batter is similar to other varieties. The most common style are sweet, with whipped or sour cream and strawberry or raspberry jam, or berries, or simply sugar, on top.

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