Imbolc, Candlemas, and Crepes

“Imbolc Crepe” photographed by Weretaod 2012

Although I was feeling too ill for serious ritual and meditation on the first of February, the calendrical beginning of Imbolc for many Pagans, I was feeling a little more ambitious on the second, what I consider to be the day my personal observations wind down.  I was still congested and groggy, but I wanted to make a special meal and a Francophone friend inspired me when she posted “Today is La Chandeleur, crepe day!” on Facebook.  La Chandeleur  is basically French for “Candlemas.”  For those new to the holiday, it celebrates Mary’s purification and the presentation of Jesus at temple.  I have vague memories of occasional Candlemas observances when I went to church – people brought candles to receive God’s blessing for the year.  It is actually very similar to what many Pagans do for Imbolc and the probable pre-Christian connection is hard to dismiss.

So what does this have to do with crepes?

Well, someone questioned my friend about le jour des crêpes and she explained that the crepes represent the sun.  What a beautiful cultural tradition on what many preindustrial European cultures considered a threshold to spring!  I did a quick search to find more information and found it on the French wikipedia entry as well as this in English. Along with the solar attributes, there are various fortune-telling activities that go along with crepes!  Très fascinant!  Then when you consider that France used to be Gaul…  Oh, it just makes the imagination go wild!

Anyway, being a Druid, former Catholic, and French student, I decided that making crepes would be a perfect way to end my Imbolc celebration (I love familiarizing myself with the cultural practices of my ancestors).  I used a basic crepe recipe but substituted the milk with almond milk and the butter with vegan margarine*.  Funnily enough, I made whipped cream using dairy products!  I prepared some fruit from the freezer but also sautéed mushrooms, greens, and onions.  That way we had dinner and dessert crepes!  They turned out amazing and were a big hit.  Definitely a good (and filling) Imbolc tradition!

Bon appétit!

*I do consume dairy, just sparingly hence the presence of these items in my fridge.  My husband prefers when I use real milk in my baking since he claims he notices a difference in taste, but we were out of his milk.  I mentioned the difference here in case any vegan friends wanted to try.  I did, however, use eggs.  I’m not sure how crepes would turn out using a substitute like flaxseed but let me know if you try it!  The almond milk worked out great!