St. Bartholomew's Day
St. Bartholomew's Day
In ancient Rome, mead was offered to the gods of love and fertility. Although few people today still believe that drinking mead will help a marriage produce children, the drink is still believed to have curative powers.
In St. Mount's Bay, Cornwall, a special ceremony is held by the Almoner of the Worshipful Company of Mead Makers. It begins with a church service, and then the participants move to the Mead Hall, where the Almoner, who is also the vicar of the parish, blesses the mead that has been fermenting for two years and pours it into a special cup. The mead can then be moved to a storage vat. In the past, mead was traditionally drunk from a bowl, known as a mazer, made from birds-eye maple with a silver rim.
See also Bartholomew Fair; Schäferlauf; Stourbridge Fair
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AmerBkDays-2000, p. 606
YrbookEngFest-1954, p. 113
YrFest-1972, p. 61