New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-27
~~~%~NN~
A SIMNEL CAKE.

-1.-s<-r~-->x-->
A SIMNEL CAKE.
of the cake Is said to be derived from the Latin
sima.T meaning fine -four but there is more d.
vcrtnc account which SAYS that the cake was invented
10y old man and old woman named simon and
Nelly. who tried to make cake for their children ont
Of some odd materials which they happened 10 have.
They quar- relied about whether II should be- boiled or
baked and after Ncly had broken broom by chastis
lng simon aud simon had dklocatcd stool by throw
Ing II at Nelly. they agreed that II should be boiled
and then baked they used the stool for fuel under
the pot and the broom for fuel under the oven. and
the cake was called by combination Of their two
names
Another dish thought to be appropriate to this day
was frimenty and IL composed Of wheat grains
boiled IN milk. sugared and shced. II Is curious 10
with what eXnctneSs certain dishes prescribed
for certain days. The nhh Sunday in Lent week from
today /, called Care sunday earle sunday, and the
proper dish for H. according to cd custom. IS dried peas
boiled and these were called carlings' The meaning
NJ Care arlc sunday rot quite clear but some OF
the Observance of Good Friday. cf which a German
Carr FrciIag. have been transferred 10 this day
whence II has been called Passion Sunday. and an
analogy for the habit of eating peas Is found In the
old Roman cdstOm OF using beans In connection Win
funeral ceremonies. when the Roman funeral. the
death Of the Christ n" connection Of the day which
II occurred with this day and all the Of the day
are taken together. Interesting subject for specu
lation may be evolved.
II may not Dc trctly nccnratc 10 include An Fools
Day among the Of Lent. since the st Of Apn
does not always fall IN Lent. hut II does this and
II does ocn II mry be incndcd this time ut least
The pathological part Of the subject may bo disposed Of
nj once by saying that the name An Fools Day Il
supposed 70 b. a corruption Of Aud Fools bay"
though the name now commonly used does not sound
80 strange To stand greatly in need Of explanation
| ~.
sake Of Testing analogy with All saints Day and
| All souls, Day.
The history ~ the dny and IT. Observance is not
simple matter. Like the histories Of most festivals
can he traced back I'll II is host In pagan antiquity,
but the and meaning not clear they
In the with many popular celebrations. Various
attempts have been made to account for the strange
custom Of striving Ia deceive the unwary and b. send
them sleeveless errands.- the old English term
was but VI them Is satisfactory. Probably the
most daring theory is that which says that the tricks
pracscd on the LIST ~ April h remembrance Of the
mockery Of the Christ by the people before the cruel
| hxion and the way in which lie dragged from
Plato IIerod back again II is pointed that
the incidents OF the Passion happened about this time
Of year Confirmation T. also sought In the French
name for April fool. poisson d'Avril" and II Is
suggested that this poisson may he corruption "
passion such n theory Of the origin Of All Fools
Day would be extremely unpleasant To believe. but II
| Is happN lmpDIDle Oi Dcef, Tor the simple reason
| that the institution Is older than Christianity. As
TO the expression poisson d'Avhl," In all probability
IL means exactly what 1t SAYS, April fish, and the
French choose ~ call April fool April fish
| because they think OF him ~ being caught. What
wonld the world do for theories II It not for the
people who prefer hard explanation t. an easy one ,
other spectators have gravely gone back to Noah
and have asserted that April foolng took It's beginning
from his act Of sending ont the dove from the ark be
| nd rest he ~ IL fy1t
theory disposcs OF itself quite sufficiently, but it Is
likely that II may have the respectabIity OF age, for
Noah was n favorIte butt for the wit Of the makers
| Of the old miracle plays. The stealing OF the Sabine
by the Romhns who had Invited them to their
festival 10 also assigned rs the cau'e Oh this mex
pic3blc custom.
| the story OF simon and Nelly and their cake. But
here is which Is ut least better: II is fact and not
gIic,sw ork that the Hndoos have wonderfully
similar Observance called the Hull Festival on March
| 81. It Is also true that the old New Year was March
- ana that April II the octave OF this day that IS
the eighth day from II counting the 10Th itself Also
il wa, the custom for great festival to last for eight
portant Moreover IA celcbr,tion of the vcrna equinox
natural at about this time and the vci1lal equinox
the Persian New Year. Her, then ng, quite enouS
solid facts ia account for festival at TINS u1e. bu
why Just this occasion should BE- chosen BY those
| The custom is widespread rs II Is old. That tha
IIindoos have it nus been mentioned II I, especially
| trace Of il NAV be found In the ncghborlood Of
| New. York next Friday. II used to b. carried 0u'
with charnct eristc gravity I'm scotland, In TIC form
| OF hunting the gOwk" The track vns for the hrat
Joker Ia send his victim to second al some distance
| with "A letter containing such words rs these
ON the first day Of Aprll
the gowk another milo
Tie md would then say that he was not the
| per,On sought or that he could not do what inc
letter n,kcd aud would advise the messenger 10 70
10 somchody else some distance further on Inc
third would send a fourth and I'LL the vo'in
stspcctcd the trick, told OF II by some more
olelrltably disposed person. -.-
In Provence Il used 10 he the custom - eat pears
nj This time and the unsuspectng weo told that tle
hrothcrs of the Convent OF the ChnrrcuX were oOlgd
~ Give away pears 10 any who came and asked ior
item This acted M practical joke IN born lle
hrothers and those who applied for the pca' Here
f. also another chance for comparison OF the IsD' VI
eating nenrs on Care Sunday. Fril,ss errands nave
ever been a favOre pastime OF this day The fhlsin
r1stIcs who were simple enough were sent 10 ply
piceons milk or the history Of Ewes mother or Srap
ali The last prime hvOnlo Ing
yiiIacc cobbler was the supposed dispenser
~ IL and az he could hardly help knowing
the trick he would readily give tn ihho,
cent customer the strap witt no oil to soften IT, onc W
these classical Jokes NAV still be practised ,eri
n f. that the habit ~ leaving valnabl ~ioohlns
n,ckago i'm n public walk has not disappearu hor
has the trick devised by refinement Of strlcsy 10
met n refinement Of pcrspcacity. OF making .no
nnckare heavy and hard. that he VINO ron
Continuously kicks aside may come to GRIEF no ieH
s,,rcly than he who rnStlngly PICKS II up E,cN
.pIe IL lsSiS If