Poet of scotland (january, 25)

How would you like to eat a pudding that has been cooked in a sheep's stomach? You'll certainly have a chance if you ever go to a party to celebrate the birthday of Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland.

Every January 25, many people in Scotland and elsewhere celebrate this event in a very fitting way. Among Burns's poems is one called "To a Haggis," in which he describes this dish as that "Great chieftain o' the puddin'-race!" So, of course, haggis must be served at the party.

Haggis tastes somewhat like hash. It is made from the heart, liver, and lungs of a sheep. These are chopped up and mixed with oatmeal, onions, and seasonings. Then everything is boiled in a bag made from the stomach of a sheep.

When the haggis is served, a man marches into the dining room playing a bagpipe. Behind him comes another man, proudly carrying the haggis on a tray. The arrival of the famous pudding is greeted with a cheer.

CANDLES AND WEATHER (FEBRUARY, 2)

Сandlemas Day is a special day when church candles are blessed. At one time, the people then carried lighted candles around the church. This custom goes back to the Romans, when people paraded with lighted candles at this me of year.

The Roman custom comes from a story in both Greek and Roman mythology. In the story told by the Greeks, Demeter, the goddess of farming, had a beautiful daughter named Persephone. Hades, god of the underworld, fell in love with Persephone and carried her off. With lighted candle, Demeter roamed the world in search of her daughter.

Whilе Persephone was with Hades, all the world turned cold and barren. Nothing would grow. Finally, Zeus, the king of the gods, arranged for Persephone to return to her mother for part of the year. Persephone's return was a sign of spring. The Greeks and Romans used this myth to explain the seasons.

People in many countries have long thought of Candlemas Day in terms of the coming of spring. An old British rhyme tells of this hope for a change in the weather:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,

Winter will have another flight;

But if it is dark with clouds and rain,

Winter is gone and will not come again.

PANCAKE DAY

Many people in the United Kingdom eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins. The custom began long ago, when people could not eat butter and eggs during Lent. So, to use up their butter and eggs before Ash Wednesday, they made pancakes.

On Pancake Day, as it is called, the women of Olney, England, have a pancake race. On this day, the women line up in the market square. Each carries a pancake in a frying pan. The women must flip their pancakes three times as they race for the church door at the other end of the square.

A bell clangs. They're off! Pancakes are flipping and feet are flying. The race lasts about a minute. The winner gets a kiss from the bell ringer of the village.

On the same day, there is also a pancake race in Liberal, Kansas. The people of Olney and the people of Liberal compare winning times by telephone to see which town has won the pancake race.

THE BEGINNING OF LENT

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. It can be as early as February 4 or as late as March 10. The exact date depends on the date set for Easter Sunday.

Ash Wednesday is observed in Roman Catholic churches and in some Protestant churches. In Roman Catholic churches, ashes from burned palm leaves are blessed. A priest then uses these ashes to mark a cross on each person's forehead. The ashes are to remind people that they came from dust and will one day return to dust.

Lent is a religious season that is a time of fasting (not eating as much food as usual) and of prayer. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, forty days before Easter (not counting Sundays) and ends on Easter Sunday. The forty days of Lent are to remind people of the forty days Jesus fasted in the wilderness. The word Lent comes from the Old English word lencten, which means "spring."

In many countries, special foods are eaten during Lent. These foods are usually a substitute for meat. In Ireland, people have a dish called champ. It is made up of scallious, a kind of onion, whipped in with hot mashed potatoes and served with a lump of butter in the middle.

The English also make special foods for Lent. One is a pudding of flour and milk, flavored with fruit syrups. Because it can be made quickly, it is known as hasty pudding.

In most places, fish is a standard food throughout Lent. So are eggs. But there was time when people were forbidden to eat eggs and butter, as well as meat. During the forty weekdays of Lent they could have only bread and water.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY (MARCH 17)

On St. Patrick's Day, you may hear such Irish songs as "The Wearing of the Green." And on this day, many people – even some who are not Irish – do wear something green. The bit of green is a reminder of the beautiful green countryside of Ireland. This island nation is so green that it is often called the Emerald Isle. (An emerald is a lovely green jewel.) Green is also the color of the shamrock, a small cloverlike plant with three leaves on each stem. It is the national symbol of Ireland.

In Ireland, St. Patrick's Day is both a holy day and holiday. Saint Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, brought Christianity to Ireland. According to legend, he used the three leaves of the shamrock to explain the idea of the Trinity – that in the one God there are three divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Another legend says that Saint Patrick rid Ireland of snakes by charming them into the sea.

St. Patrick's Day is usually celebrated with a parade. The one in Dublin, Ireland, has some to be known as the Irish Mardi Gras. The St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City is perhaps the biggest.

Two big Irish wolfhounds always lead the marchers in the gala New York City parade. These huge dogs are the mascots of the Fighting 69th, an infantry regiment that is part of the New York National Guard. At one time, this regiment was made up entirely of Irishmen. More than a hundred bands and a hundred thousand marchers follow the dogs up Fifth Avenue. The parade lasts for hours.

You don't have to be Irish to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Next March 17, put on a shamrock or a bit of green and have fun.

APRIL FOOL! (APRIL, 1)

There's a spot on your nose! Did you look to see? If you did, April fool! The joke is on you.

If you have a trick played on you in the United States, you are an "April fool." In England, you might be called a "noddy," which means a "fool" or "simpleton." But if you live in England, don't try to play any tricks in the afternoon of All Fools' Day. In England, tricks are played only till noon. If you do try to play a trick in the afternoon, you will probably hear this shout:

"Up the ladder and down the wall,

You're the greatest fool of all!"

In Scotland, a person who is fooled by being sent on some foolish errand – such as finding a left-handed monkey wrench – is said to be "hunting the gowk." Gowk means "cuckoo" or "simpleton."

The custom of playing harmless tricks on April 1 is said to have begun in France more than four hundred years ago. At that time, *Jew Year's Day was March, 25. Celebrations went on through April, 1, at which time people exchanged New Year's gifts.

Then, the French adopted a new calendar. New Year's Day was switched from March, 25 to January, 1. This confused many people for a long time. On April, 1 those who remembered the switch began to play tricks on those who forgot.

And in France, a person who is fooled is called a poisson d'Avril, which means "April fish." Why a "fish"? No one is quite sure. Perhaps it is because in April fish are young and easily caught. In France, as a special treat, you can buy chocolate fish on April Fools' Day.