Pancake Day/Shrove Tuesday

It's Pancake Day today.

The British tend to make thin crepe style pancakes and serve them for dessert with lemon and sugar.

I like American style pancakes (served with maple syrup) so I used a recipe via the BBC for Fluffy American Pancakes  and served them for breakfast.

Another easy recipe is via Jamie Oliver's Food Tube:

Jamie Oliver's Super Easy Pancakes featuring Poppy and Daisy



Did you make pancakes today?

Happy St George's Day!

Today is Saint George's Day, an annual event that takes place on 23rd April to celebrate the patron saint of England.

These are some of the events happening today to celebrate St George's Day:

Celebrate St Georges Day at Trafalgar Square with a fresh and varied selection of English music. 12.30pm - 6pm FREE
St George's Day Concert, Trafalgar Square

Head to the V&A for a range of free events for St Georges Day at the Museum of Childhood.

Free afternoon talk (at 4 pm) at the National Gallery about the famous painting of St George and the Dragon (which is permanently housed at the National Gallery) by Paolo Uccello and the legend of the patron saint of England.

and some more events around England
England: the best St George's Day events, 2011 (via the Telegraph)

Classic English recipes, from traditional puds to brilliant bangers and mash, to help you celebrate St George's Day. (via BBCgoodfood.com)

Top Ten Patriotic Pubs For St George’s Day (via Londonist)

To all my English readers: enjoy celebrating England's national day!

Happy St George's Day!

Edited to add: I was puzzling over why the special Google Doodle to honour St George's Day has suddenly disappeared (it was there at 1:00 am this morning) and mentioned this on twitter. One of my followers provided this surprising information:

"this year it isn't st Georges day til 2 May cos it clashes with Easter" and she kindly provided a link about it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/saints/george_1.shtml
Saint George's Day is April 23. In 2011 because this day falls on Holy Saturday, it will move to May 2.

I'm shocked! It's not as if today's event clashes with Easter Sunday. How many people even know about "Holy Saturday"? I think moving England's national day to a different date is totally ridiculous! Furthermore, that decision doesn't seem to have reached most of England (thankfully!) since there are still plenty of events happening across England to celebrate today. Quite right too!

What do you think about this decision to move the date for St George's Day to May 2nd?

Happy Mothering Sunday!

Happy Mothering Sunday to all the mums in the UK

Today is Mothering Sunday in the UK. It's not the same as Mother's Day in the USA (which is celebrated on the second Sunday in May) because it started as a religious holiday here and it is still connected to Easter. Mothering Sunday always falls on the 4th Sunday in Lent in the UK.

It's noticeable though that the greeting cards and adverts here are increasingly referring to "Mothering Sunday" as "Mother's Day" here in the UK.

I've selected two clips to show in honour of mother's everywhere. The first one is a montage of scenes with Sally Field as Nora the devoted mother in the (excellent!) TV show, "Brothers and Sisters":



and a trailer from a movie called Mother, starring Debbie Reynolds:

Happy St Patrick's Day!

St Patrick is Ireland's Patron Saint

Today, 17 March is the national day of Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.

St Patrick's Day information via History.com

St. Patrick's Day - information website

To all my Irish readers:

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Happy St David's Day!

St David, or Dewi Sant, as he is known in the Welsh language, is the Patron Saint of Wales. Happy St David's Day!

Did you notice the Google Doodle today? It's in honour of St David's Day. The second 'g' in the word Google is covered in a Welsh hat plus lace and a shawl tied with a daffodil, the national flower of Wales.

A daffodil or leek (Welsh national emblem) is worn by most Welsh people on St David's Day.

About Saint David's Day (from Wikipedia)

Via BBC: St David's Day recipes

To all my Welsh readers: I hope you enjoy celebrating today!

Dydd Gwyl Dewi hapus!

Happy St George's Day!

St George is the patron saint of England.

Today, April 23rd, is England's national day: 

St George's Day!

Celebrations to mark St George's Day will take place across England today and over the weekend.

St George's Day 2010, Activities, Celebrations, Ideas  (via Enjoy England)

London St. George's Day 2010

St. George's Day gets Google Doodle  (link via metro.co.uk)

Facts about St. George's Day, England's national day  (link via Woodlands Junior School)

Urgup in Turkey seeks English twin on St George's Day  (link via BBC News)

Pageant of St George returns to London after 425 years  (link via BBC News)

Download a free copy of The Ricky Gervais Guide to The English to mark St George's Day
(link via guardian.co.uk)

St George's Day Crafts  (link via Activity Village)

Today is also William Shakespeare's birthday and it's appropriate to quote from his play, Henry V, with one of Shakespeare's most famous quotes:

 'Cry ‘God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'

and another famous quote is by Sir Winston Churchill:

"There is a forgotten, nay almost forbidden word,

which means more to me than any other. That word is ENGLAND."

Happy St George's Day!

Thanksgiving Day (USA) 2009

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Americans! Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the USA and today nearly every American will be celebrating by sharing a huge feast with their family and friends. The traditional meal will include turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. I think of all the American holidays, Thanksgiving is the most popular because it isn't religious and it doesn't involve present-giving. It's just a day for sharing good food, good conversation and relaxing. And also watching Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and (American) football on TV. If you aren't in the USA, you can still watch a live webcast of the 83rd annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (Times Square, New York City) beginning at approximately 9:30am EST! For American expats such as myself, I think Thanksgiving Day is the day we miss our families the most and feel the most homesick. The British do not celebrate Thanksgiving. Today is just another day in the UK with people going to work and kids going to school. This video explains more about Thanksgiving:

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day in the UK. The United Kingdom and Ireland celebrate Mother's Day on the fourth Sunday of Lent, which means that Mother's Day will fall on different dates each year and sometimes even fall in different months (Mother's Day is always celebrated on the second Sunday in May in the United States). My sons gave me beautiful flowers and cards plus these lovely gifts: the soundtrack to the movie, French Kiss (it's one of my favourite movies and I recently said how much I would like to get the soundtrack) and Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day on DVD. The nicest gift for me though is that my eldest son came home from university for Easter break. It's simply wonderful to have both my sons at home. I would like to wish all mothers a very happy Mother's Day. I also wish to offer my deepest sympathy to those who find this day to be difficult because they have lost their mother or a child. The sad news that Jade Goody died early this morning and left behind two very young boys, and the recent tragic death of Natasha Richardson, also leaving behind two young sons, is a poignant reminder of just how fragile life is.

Happy St David's Day!

St David is the Patron Saint of Wales and today, March 1st, is St David's Day. I would like to wish all my Welsh readers:

Happy St David's Day

Visit Wales - official tourism site

Goodbye to 2008...Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year filled with new hope, new joy and new beginnings...

Happy Boxing Day

Shoppers converged on high streets and malls across the country this morning for the busiest Boxing Day sales in living memory, as retailers slashed prices in a desperate bid to stay afloat. (link via timesonline.co.uk) I know there were a lot of sales starting today but I prefer staying home and relaxing with my family. Did you go to the sales?

Happy Holidays!

Here's a fun (oldie but goodie) clip from "The Andy Williams Christmas Show", with Andy Williams and his brothers plus the Osmond Brothers, singing "Happy Holidays": Happy Holidays to everyone!

It's time for Panto!

Thanks to Flighty for the reminder that it's That time of year. Yes, indeed it's Christmas time and in Britain, that means it's panto time! Pantomimes are a tradition in British theatres. They are nearly always based on well-known children's stories or fairy tales. Some of the most popular pantomimes are "Cinderella", "Snow White", "Jack and the Beanstalk", "Aladdin", and "Peter Pan" and a variety of these stories are acted out up and down the country in professional and amateur productions. A very odd (but hilarious!) feature of panto is that the lead male role is played by a woman and the lead female roles are played by men. The costumes are usually very elaborate and colourful and the whole production can be quite impressive. Panto is fantastic family entertainment and a great way to introduce the joy of theatre to children. I still remember one production of "Cinderella" we took our sons to see and how thrilled we were to see real Shetland ponies being used to pull the carriage on stage. Sadly, it looks like that particular bit of panto tradition is ending because it breaches rules on health and safety and animal welfare. The professional productions almost always star some well-known TV celebrities. Sometimes they are actors from British soap-operas or from Australian soap operas. A few years ago, a couple American actors (Patrick Duffy and Henry Winkler) came over to take part in pantomimes. Henry Winkler is returning this year (his third year) to star in a panto as Captain Hook in a panto in Milton Keynes and another American actor, Steve Guttenberg, is doing his first panto this year as Baron Hard-up in the production of Cinderella in Bromley, Kent. As much as I enjoy the professional pantos and seeing famous actors, I think the amateur pantos are often the best ones. The Big Panto Guide :find a Pantomime in the UK 2008-2009 Milton Keynes Theatre: Henry Winkler, Andy Ford and Louisa Lytton (Eastenders, Strictly Come Dancing, and The Bill) star in Peter Pan The Churchill Theatre: Steve Guttenberg (Police Academy, Three Men And A Baby, Cocoon), Helen Lederer (Absolutely Fabulous), Laura Hamilton (Nickelodeon), Mark Evans (Troy from High School Musical at Hammersmith Apollo), Tucker and David Langham & John Barr (As the Ugly Sisters) star in Cinderella

Santa shortage hits Germany

I laughed (shame on me) when I read this news story although I bet they aren't laughing about it in Germany: Christmas kaput as Santa shortage hits Germany GERMANY is facing a Santa Claus shortage in the run-up to Christmas, as new recruits fail to meet high Teutonic standards of jollity and expertise. Job agencies, which are currently conducting a desperate last-minute recruitment drive, have reported a distinct lack of jolly, rotund, fluffy-bearded Santas with no criminal records. (link via timesonline.co.uk)

Native American Heritage Day (yesterday)

I just found out that yesterday was Native American Heritage Day: National heritage day honors American Indians

For the first time, federal legislation has set aside the day after Thanksgiving — for this year only — to honor the contributions American Indians have made to the United States. Frank Suniga, a descendent of Mescalero Apache Indians who lives in Oregon, said he and others began pushing in 2001 for a national day that recognizes tribal heritage. Suniga, 79, proposed his idea to a cultural committee that is part of the Portland-based Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians. The organization took on the cause of a commemorative day, as did the National Congress of American Indians and other groups. Congress passed legislation this year designating the day as Native American Heritage Day, and President George W. Bush signed it last month

(link via International Herald Tribune) I think this is a fantastic idea! It's a shame though that it didn't get more publicity and that it was set up for this year only. Let's hope the Native American Heritage Day will become an annual event. It should be.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is a special day in the USA: Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Americans! Thanksgiving is a day for gratitude, for sharing, for remembering the special people in our lives. I hope you have a wonderful, healthy, happy Thanksgiving, whether you are surrounded by family, friends, and feast in reality or spirit!

Thanksgiving in England

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the USA and of course the Brits don't celebrate it, however since the American expatriate population is quite considerable, there are some events available. I meant to post this information a few days ago so I apologize for the last minute info: The annual Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul's Cathedral, London, will be held once again this year. This year is the 50th anniversary of the annual US Thanksgiving Day Service at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Doors open at 9:45am and the service begins at 11am. All are welcome, no tickets required. If you are looking for a restaurant in London that serves a Thanksgiving dinner: Recommended Thanksgiving at London Restaurants The city of Plymouth, England celebrates its unique Mayflower and Transatlantic heritage every Thanksgiving with an annual Thanksgiving Festival.

Thanksgiving crafts

It's Thanksgiving Day in the USA next week (November 27) and in addition to indulging in a huge feast, it's traditional for kids to make fun Thanksgiving crafts. I found some links for some ideas for those of you who need some inspiration: Cereal box turkeys Turkey Craft Indian Corn art project Thanksgiving Crafts, Worksheets & Activities DLTK's Crafts for KidsThanksgiving Crafts Thanksgiving Crafts from MakingFriends.com Thanksgiving Crafts from FreeKidsCrafts.com Hand Turkey Placemat Simple Turkey Day Crafts Turkey Spoon Craft Garland of Gratitude

How many trick-or-treaters did you get?

We had a very quiet Halloween. We had a total of seven trick-or-treaters come to our door. Three little ones (very sweet!) arrived about 5:30 and four slightly older children (about 8 or 9 years old) arrived about an hour later. So how many trick-or-treaters did you get?

Simple but effective idea for a Halloween treat

This is a neat idea for Halloween: Use frosting to pipe the bone shapes on gingerbread cookies to look like Ginger-skeletons! (link via My Paper Crane blog)