World Idli Day

March 30, 2016 World Idli Day was founded by M Eniyavan founder of the popular chain Mallipoo Idly to honor and celebrate the delicious South Indian breakfast food made from a fermented rice and lentil batter and steamed.

I bought an idli steamer for the occasion, and served my idli with some sambal.

Våffeldaggen (Sweden)

The heart-shaped Swedish waffles served with jam and whipped cream (also popular in Denmark and Norway) is celebrated on the Feast of The Annunciation because the Swedish word for the feast day is Vårfrudaggen. The similarities in sounds of the ‘Waffle Day’ and ‘Annunciation’ lent the day to extra celebration!

Nationale Pannenkoekdag (the Netherlands)

It’s the 14th National Pancake Day in the Netherlands! A holiday that always falls on a Friday in march were school children make pancakes for the elderly. I made some pancakes with sugar and lemon for my elderly parents. And I made a pancake with gouda, salami, and mushroom for me!!

Some fun Dutch facts about pancakes:

1:3 Dutch people eat pancakes at least once a month

The Dutch eat an average of 3-4 pancakes at a time

Syrup and powdered sugar with lemon are the two most popular ways to eat with pancakes.

Bretzelsonndeg (Luxembourg)

Fourth Sunday of Lent (Halfway through Lent)

Men give their sweetheart a pretzel. And if their love is returned she will give him a chocolate egg on Easter. If the love is not reciprocated, she will give him an empty basket. There is a common Luxembourgish expression “de Kuerf kreien” or “to be given the basket” which comes from the traditions of this holiday. On leap years the genders are reversed and the girl gives the pretzel, and the male gives the egg or the basket on Easter.

Pretzels are a common lenten snack throughout all Catholic countries, however the tradition in Luxembourg has become to give an almond pretzel pastry made of a leavened puff pastry. The tradition dates back to the 17th Century, as a gesture for sealing marriages. Now it is a country wide celebration with parades, pageants, festivities, and of course freshly baked pretzels. The shape of the pretzels are said to symbolize two lovers holding hands.

The shape of the pretzel has a long Lenten history in general, supposedly symbolising folded hands in prayer. Since the snack was unleavened and contained to eggs or fat, but was simply flour and water, it was acceptable to be eaten during Lenten fasting. And it was given as a reward for saying prayers. The pretzel eventually morphed into a symbol of love.

British Pie Week (UK)

March 1-7, 2021

Since 2007, the first full week of March is British Pie Week! This year it lands March 1-7th. 14 years ago Jus-Rol started the week as a marketing campaign, and it has evolved into a country wide celebration. Pubs and Pie shops unveil all different types of pies, and Competitions, Specials, and Pie-Offs are held to award the best pie. Since I’m not baking any pies, I relied on Myers of Keswick yet again to supply me a variety of British Pies including: Steak and Kidney, Chicken and Mushroom, Chicken and Leek, Curried Lamb, Pork, Pork and Stilton, and Steak and Ale.

(Steak and Ale not featured, because I ate it!)

Beer Day (Iceland)

March 1st 1989 marked the end of the 68 year beer ban in Iceland. The country voted total prohibition into law in 1915, and gradually Wine and Spirits were lifted in 1921 and 1935 respectively. Wine was legalized do to trade wars with Spain. However Beer, aside from the fact it was cheaper than spirits and had high alcohol content leading to possible depravity, was associated with Denmark the country Iceland was fighting for independence from a the time. Now, beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage in Iceland.

In researching this holiday I learned about bjóelíkí, a “beer cocktail”, made by mixing a light Pilsner (non-alcoholic beer or less than 2.25% ABV) with vodka, wine, or/and whiskey. It sounded so disgusting I couldn’t help by try it. The beer cocktail, initially a stand in for beer taste that could also get you drunk, was prohibited from being served at pubs in 1985, pushing the national sentiment to end the prohibition of beer once and for all.

When prohibition finally ended, there was reportedly beer drinking all night long, and the day became an annual celebration.