Ash Wednesday! A day for.... um... I dunno, is it something about Alfred burning the pancakes?
Anyway, knowing Lent doesn't start until you have eaten a pancake, we've been carefully avoiding them since yesterday. But we're taking Ashing very seriously.
So, to reflect the idea that we shall all return to dust 'n' ashes - and that we know not the day nor the hour (nor, quite likely, the postcode) a group of flash mob ashers have been touring the area, giving passersby blasts from Ashington's Patented Ashing Machine.
The great thing is that, rather than a neat cross of oil and palm ash that leaves Sky News reporters wondering what's going on, the Ashington machine covers them from head to foot in cinders. Unfortunately it was only twenty minutes before the crew were pulled over by Young Keith' s adoptive uncle, the Police officer.
They're still in custody. Whoever knew you needed a licence for Al Fresco Ashing?
Quite right too. Did they have any idea how traumatic it is to any self-respecting witch to be doused in ash in the tinned fruit aisle in Liptons?
ReplyDeleteI remember the Beaker people of yore were traditionalist pagans who spent the time between Imbolc and Eostre whooping it up in the vegetable patch to encourage the spring greens. This ecumenical carry-on will not end well.