"Flitch day is a celebration of an ancient English custom that
dates back to the year 1104. A flitch refers to a side of cured and
salted bacon."
"The tradition originates from the village of Little
Dunmow in Essex. It came into being when Lord Fitzwalter and his wife,
both of Dunmow priory, disguised themselves as common folk and then
requested a blessing from the prior for the success of their first year and one day of marriage. The prior was so touched
by their love for each other that he presented them with the gift of a flitch of bacon."
"Following
this display Lord Fitzwalter told the truth, he explained that although
they had been honest in their love for each other, they had in fact
received the blessing under a false identity. He then gave his land to
the priory on the condition that a flitch of bacon must be given to any married couple who could prove the same devotion."
"From that day forward married couples would present themselves before a jury of unmarried men and women in an attempt to win the bacon. The ritual comprised of the couples kneeling on pointed stones whilst reciting the flitch oath."
"However,
it wasn’t simple because they had to prove that for one year they had
not quarrelled, desired another, or wished that they had remained
unmarried. Also present were those who donated the bacon and they would
attempt to convince the jury that the couples were not sincere in their
claim. When a couple proved that they spoke the truth, then the bacon
was presented by the priory monks."
"By the 14th century the custom
had travelled to other parts of England and according to the archives
very few couples were successful in winning the bacon. However, flitch winners were not recorded until the year 1445; therefore the success rate before this time is not known."
"It is the flitch trials that give rise to the expression ‘bringing home the bacon’, although this phrase now refers to a wage earner."
"In
the year of 1832 the flitch trials began to take place in the nearby
village of Great Dunmow. This was because the Little Dunmow steward
declared it to be a pointless custom that attracted undesirables into
the area."
"By the late 19th century the custom had travelled
across Europe and into the United States. Flitch day is now held in Essex every
four years, this being within the leap year. Of course Dunmow itself
continues in the tradition and the most recent flitch day was Saturday the 14th
of July 2012. In 2008 in Dunmow four couples managed to claim the bacon. One
couple was from Essex itself, two from the counties of Wiltshire and
Middlesex, and a couple from Nashville, Tennessee in the USA."
Other areas around the world celebrate Flitch Day on 19 July every year.
Source: http://www.helium.com/items/2318882-history-of-flitch-day
No comments:
Post a Comment