Flora Day - The Best Day of the Year...Probably

May 8th, is a great day in Helston, perhaps the greatest day of the year. It is Flora Day!!! This day is seen by many Helstonians as a much improved version of Christmas. It is perhaps more readily and excitingly anticipated by this Cornish market town than Christmas Day. It is a time when the whole town (apart from my parents, who are not see keen on the crowds) line the streets to take part in one in what is thought to be one of the country's oldest traditions. 

It is an ancient festival, which celebrates the arrival of spring and the end of winter. Its origins are believed to be connected with pagan rites of fertility. The town looks glorious on this special day. It is decorated with greenery, bluebells and bright yellow gorse to express the spirit of renewal.

Celebrations start just after dawn, when the big bass drum strikes to commence the first dance at 7am. Some eighty couples dance through the streets, entering selected houses and shops to drive out the darkness of winter and bring in the light of spring.

The main dance, at midday, sees men in morning dress and top hats and women in rather spectacular dresses (not always in the right way), hats and gloves leave the Guildhall and dance around the town.

The event, which attracts large crowds every year, is usually held on 8 May, unless that day is a Sunday or Monday.

I would encourage everyone to experience this great Cornish festival. If you are in Cornwall today, there is still chance to catch rather merry and slightly weary dancers weave and sway through the streets in the last dance at 5pm. 

Next year the festival will be taking place on Thursday 8th May 2014. Get it in the diary!  I would recommend the purchasing the the Official Guide so you can truly be in the know and experience the festival like a local.

For those who can not attend this year, I would console yourselves by listening to Terry Wogan's version of the Furry Dance, the tune of Flora Day.  I have been playing this on repeat all day.

Happy Flora Day everyone!

 

St. Piran's Day - Pasty Mania

Anyone is their right mind can not deny that Cornish pasties are simply scrumptious. For our international readership that do not know what makes Cornish pasties so unique - 'a genuine Cornish pasty has a distinctive ‘D’ shape and is crimped on one side, never on top. The texture of the filling for the pasty is chunky, made up of uncooked minced or roughly cut chunks of beef (not less than 12.5%), swede, potato and onion and a light peppery seasoning.'1

Are they easy to make? 

Well, not anyone can make a Cornish pasty, oh no. In 2011, After many years of campaigning, the Cornish people managed to gain the Cornish pasty Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status. This, in effect, prevented it from being copied by imitators. Only pasties prepared in Cornwall, following the traditional recipe can be described as Cornish. Other PGI status food and drink include, Champagne and the irresistible Italian Parma Ham. 

Today is St Piran's day, the national day of Cornwall. So why not head to the West Cornwall Pasty shop (just around the corner from OISE Oxford), to celebrate with a pasty of your choice. We dedicate this post to Samantha, OISE Oxford's in house Cornish representative, who is in Cornwall at this very moment. No doubt she will be jubilantly celebrating St Piran's day with a pasty or two! Click on the image below to read up on some traditional Cornish pasty fillings.