SEED TO STOVE

THIS MONTH, LIA LEENDERTZ TAKES TIME OUT FROM CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS FOR THE QUIET MIDWINTER CELEBRATION OF YULE, WITH SEASONAL FLAVOURS OF SQUASH, NUTS AND GINGER. AND NOT A TURKEY IN SIGHT

Photography: KIRSTIE YOUNG

There are eight ancient agricultural festivals that told our farming ancestors when it was time to sow, reap, stop and take stock. To mark the turning of the year, Lia is looking at her plot, eating food connected to each festival or season, and carrying out a small act of celebration. Yule log The fire is an important part of this celebration, and not just because it is bracingly cold. Midwinter is one of the fire festivals, along with midsummer and the two equinoxes. At Yule the fire is symbolic of the returning of the sun: it’s at its lowest point in the sky but this means that things can only become brighter from here on in. The Celts believed that the sun stood still for 12 days around midwinter and a log was…

You're reading a preview of

The Simple Things (Digital) - 1 Issue, 1-Dec-15

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.