英國的母親節 Mothering Sunday

http://www.getset.com.tw/cultural_corner_mothers_day.html

英國的母親節
四 旬齋日後的第四個星期天是英國母性的星期天。雖然也常稱這天為 ” 母親節”但實際上和美國的母親節並沒有什麼關聯。在早期的英格蘭，孩子們，特別是離家幫傭的女兒，會在母親節這天請一天假來拜訪母親及親人。而在今日，孩 子們會在這一天為他們的母親準備禮物，花朵和親手製作的卡片。

英國母親節的淵源
在 英格蘭的教徒們通常會利用大部分的星期天到最近的教區或教堂作禮拜。幾個世紀後，人們視四旬齋日後的第四個星期天為極重要的一天，因為他們會在這一天回到 他們一年拜訪一次的”mother church”，所以每年四旬齋中旬，每個人都會拜訪自己的”mother church“或教區上主要的教堂。自然而然的，回到” mother church”已成為離家工作的孩子們舉家團員的原因。(在當時，一但孩子年滿十歲，離家出外工作是很普遍的。)大部分的史學家認為因為回到” Mother church ”的緣故使孩子們得以休假一天返家探親成了慣例，特別是當學徒或是替人幫傭的孩子。在這些孩子們沿著返家的鄉間小路上，他們會摘一些野花或是紫羅蘭帶到教 堂表達對教會的感恩，或是當作送給母親的小禮物。

美食饗宴
英 國的母親節同時也是大家熟悉的可稍稍恢復精力的星期天，因為這一天可以進食，不需禁食，大家也可以稍微放鬆一下。在新約福音中有一段耶穌以五個小麵包及兩 條小魚讓五千人飽餐的故事。”如今這個地方已長滿許多草，所以為數五千的人們席地而坐， 接著耶穌拿起一個麵包，向上天感恩後，將麵包和魚分發給席地而坐的人， 這些麵包和魚就如取之不竭般的讓所有的人都飽餐了。 ( 約翰福音，第六章，10-12節)

Simnel蛋糕
和 英國的母親節特別有關聯的食物是Simnel 蛋糕。Simnel 蛋糕 是一種夾有兩層杏仁醬的水果蛋糕，一層在蛋糕的最上層，一層在中間。這種蛋糕是以最上層的11球marzipan糖衣來代表著耶穌的11個門徒。( 猶大不包含在內 ) 。一般上，紫羅蘭糖果也會加在蛋糕的上層。

為何叫做Simnel
Simnel這個名字可能是由拉丁文中的” simila “而來，意指用來烘培蛋糕的小麥麵粉。有另一種流傳的說法是有一個名叫Simon的男子和他的妻子Nell為了母親節的蛋糕應用烘烤的方式或是煮的方式而起了爭執。
最後，他們這兩種方式都試了，所以蛋糕以這兩人的名字作為蛋糕的
名稱。

Simnel cake
奶油175 g (6 oz)
糖175 g
3個打好的蛋
桿平的麵粉225 g (8 oz)
磨碎的荳蔻1/2匙
肉桂1/2 匙
醃過的櫻桃 125 g (4 oz)
剁碎的綜合果皮50 g (2 oz)
小葡萄乾 250 g (9 oz)
無核白葡萄乾125 g (4 oz)
杏仁醬450 g

如 果必要的話可以加一點牛奶將奶油和糖加在一起攪拌， 直到顏色變淡泡沫變細。慢慢的蛋將打入，加入麵粉和香料，舖上水果，如果麵粉還是很硬，可以加上一兩匙的牛奶。將一個約18公分高的蛋糕模型內圈圖上油以 便烘烤。取一半準備好的麵放進蛋糕模中，接著舖上一層約16公分寬的杏仁醬，再將另一半準備好的麵粉加(蓋)在杏仁醬上，放入烤箱烘烤，直到顏色變深，蛋 糕變硬。將蛋糕取出，等蛋糕冷卻後，將剩下的杏仁醬舖在蛋糕的最上層，用高溫迅速的蛋糕烤成褐色。

Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday in the UK is the fourth Sunday of Lent. Although it's often called "Mothers Day" it has no connection with the American festival of that name. Traditionally, it was a day when children, mainly daughters, who had gone to work as domestic servants were given a day off to visit their mother and family. Today it is a day when children give presents, flowers, and home made cards to their mothers.

History of Mothering Sunday
Most Sundays in the year churchgoers in England worship at their nearest parish or "daughter church".

Centuries ago it was considered important for people to return to their home or "mother" church once a year. So each year in the middle of Lent, everyone would visit their "mother" church, or the main church or Cathedral of the area.
Inevitably the return to the "mother" church became an occasion for family reunions when children who were working away returned home. (It was quite common in those days for children to leave home for work once they were ten years old.)
And most historians think that it was the return to the "Mother" church which led to the tradition of children, particularly those working as domestic servants, or as apprentices, being given the day off to visit their mother and family.
As they walked along the country lanes, children would pick wild flowers or violets to take to church or give to their mother as a small gift.

A Foodie Festival
Mothering Sunday was also known as Refreshment Sunday because the fasting rules for Lent were relaxed that day.
Originally both Old and New testament lessons on mid-lent Sunday made a point of food.
The Gospel reading from the New Testament told the story of how Jesus fed five thousand people with only five small barley loaves and two small fish. Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. (John 6:10-12)

Simnel Cake
The food item specially associated with Mothering Sunday is the Simnel Cake. A Simnel cake is a fruit cake with two layers of almond paste, one on top and one in the middle. The cake is made with 11 balls of marzipan icing on top representing the 11 disciples. (Judas is not included). Traditionally, sugar violets would also be added.

Why Simnel?
The name Simnel probably comes from the Latin word "simila" which means a fine wheat flour usually used for baking a cake. There's a legend that a man called Simon and his wife Nell argued over whether the cake for Mothering Sunday should be baked or boiled. In the end they did both, so the cake was named after both of them: SIM-NELL.

SIMNEL CAKE RECIPE
175 g (6 oz) butter
175 g (6 oz) sugar
3 beaten eggs
225 g (8 oz) plain flour
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
125 g (4 oz) glace cherries
50 g (2 oz) chopped mixed peel
250 g (9 oz) currants
125 g (4 oz) sultanas
450 g (1 lb) almond paste
A little milk if necessary

Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs slowly. Fold in the flour and spices. Add the fruit and fold in. Add a teaspoon or two of milk if too firm. Line and grease an 18 cm (7 in) round cake tin. Roll out half the almond paste to a 16 cm circle. Spoon half of the cake mixture into the cake tin. Put the almond paste circle on top of the cake mixture. Then add the rest of the cake mixture. Bake until dark brown and firm. Once the cake is cool, roll out the rest of the almond paste into an 18 cm circle. Place the circle on top of the cake and brown quickly under a hot grill.


單字
1. Lent-四旬齋，指(逾越節)復活節前星期天除外的四十天準備期，也就是從Ash Wednesday至Easter Eve 的四十天，在此期間為紀念耶穌在荒野禁食，在此時期內，基督徒特別祈禱、刻苦作補贖，尤其守齋禁食，故此舊名稱又叫「封齋期」。

2. Mother Church 人們加入教會受洗的教堂。隨著基督教在歐洲的擴散，人們將四旬齋日後的第四個星期天轉為對「Mother Church」的崇敬：表達人們對賦予他們生命、保護他們免於傷害的精神力量的感謝。從此，教會的儀式便與母親節的慶祝活動相結合，以同時傳達人們對母親 與教會的感念。