Friday 5 August 2011

Festival of the Week: Mead Day


In the USA, tomorrow is National Mead Day. Personally, I think mead is such a lovely drink it should be celebrated all over the world - so let's make Saturday, August 6 International Mead Day. And I'm also very happy to choose Mead Day as The Bad Witch's Festival of the Week!

I'm sure most people who read my blog are familiar with mead, but just in case you've never tried it, here is the description courtesy of Wikipedia:
"Mead ( /ˈmiːd/, meed; archaic and dialectal 'medd'; from Old English 'meodu'), also called honey wine, is an alcoholic beverage that is produced by fermenting a solution of honey and water... Depending on local traditions and specific recipes, it may be flavoured with spices, fruit, or hops... Mead is known from many sources of ancient history throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia, although archaeological evidence of it is ambiguous. Its origins are lost in prehistory."
Mead is probably the oldest alcoholic drink and has all sorts of magical connotations. It is supposed to be an aphrodisiac, boost fertility and, according to Norse folklore, the amount of mead a couple drank on their honeymoon (a term that allegedly comes from the tradition of drinking honey wine after a wedding) could help them choose the sex of their children.

Personally I think mead is a great drink for any celebration, not just weddings. Happy Mead Day!

The picture shows Ninemaidens Traditional Mead from Cornwall. You can order it via the website http://www.cornwallsolar.co.uk/ninemaidens/index.htm
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1 comment:

Kelly-Ann said...

I've certainly had some wild nights on the stuff! It's great that it gets its own day.

8 August 2011 at 05:42

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