December 9
Today is Anna’s Day in Sweden, during which Scandinavians honor all those born with that name, which is about a third of the population.
What’s the reason behind or the purpose of Anna’s Day, we have no idea, but right now in Scandinavia it’s dark 20 hours a day, so who would blame them for throwing in as many December holidays as possible?
Today’s the day Scandinavians begin preparing the Swedish delicacy lutefisk, to be consumed on Christmas Eve.
Any fish that take 15 days to make better be darn-tootin’ good.
Lutefisk however is the exact opposite.
According to Swedishologist Rich Tosches, lutefisk means, literally, “cod soaked in plutonium.”
More on How (but not why) Lutefisk became a delicacy – by Rich Tosches
But, as writer Dave Fox points out, the Scandinavian tradition of soaking fish in lye–that’s right, toilet cleaner–developed not because…
“they thought it was tasty. A long time ago, in the pre-refrigeration epoch, salting and drying fish was an efficient way to preserve it…A century ago, lutefisk really was a staple in the Norwegian diet. Also a century ago, a lot of Norwegians fled the country.”
— Make Love, Not Lutefisk – by Dave Fox
If you have any more info on Anna’s Day please let us know.
In the meantime, here’s today’s poem for the Anna’s of the world:
Anna, Anna
Bobanna
Banana Fana Fo Fana
Me, My, Mo Mana
Anna
Have a HAPPY Anna’s day. A special day for a special girl. Love Aunt Jude