Lancashire Folk-lore: Illustrative of the Superstitious Beliefs and Practices, Local Customs and Usages of the People of the County PalatineHarland, John
History
Lancashire Folk-lore: Illustrative of the Superstitious Beliefs and Practices, Local Customs and Usages of the People of the County Palatine
Harland, John
Folklore -- England -- Lancashire; Lancashire (England) -- Social life and customs
Formerly it was the practice in Leigh to use a beverage on Mid-Lent
Sunday, called "bragot," consisting of a kind of spiced ale; and also
for the boys to indulge themselves by persecuting the women on their way
to church, by secretly hooking a piece of coloured cloth to their gowns.
A similar custom prevails in Portugal, at Carnival time, when many
persons that walk the streets on the three last days of the Intrudo,
have a long paper train hooked to their dress behind, on which the
populace set up the cry of "Raboleve," which is continued till the butt
of the joke is divested of his "tail." As to "Bragot," or more properly
"Braget" Sunday, it is a name given in Lancashire to the fourth Sunday
in Lent, which is in other places called "Mothering Sunday." Both
appellations arise out of the same custom. Voluntary oblations, called
_Quadragesimalia_ (from the Latin name of Lent, signifying forty days),
were formerly paid by the inhabitants of a diocese to the Mother
Cathedral Church, and at this time prevailed the custom of processions
to the Cathedral on Mid-Lent Sunday. On the discontinuance of
processions, the practice of "mothering," or visiting parents, began;
and the spiced ale used on these occasions was called _braget_, from the
British _bragawd_, the name of a kind of metheglin. Whitaker[156]
observes that this description of liquor was called "Welsh ale" by the
Saxons. Since his time, the liquor drunk on this day is principally
_mulled ale_, of which there is a large consumption in Lancashire on
Mid-Lent Sunday.[157]
FAG-PIE SUNDAY.
Fig-pies--(made of dry figs, sugar, treacle, spice, &c., and by some
described as "luscious," by others as "of a sickly taste")--or, as they
are locally termed, "fag-pies," are, or were at least till recently,
eaten in Lancashire on a Sunday in Lent [? Mid-Lent Sunday], thence
called "Fag-pie Sunday."[158]
In the neighbourhood of Burnley Fag-pie Sunday is the second Sunday
before Easter, or that which comes between Mid-Lent and Palm Sunday.
About Blackburn fig-pies are always prepared for Mid-Lent Sunday, and
visits are usually made to friends' houses in order to partake of the
luxury.
GOOD FRIDAY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account