If you are really into the pre-Schism UK saints and history, then St. Oswald is one of your guys! From spending his formative years with the monks of Iona to his friendship and missionary journeys with St. Aiden, this humble and charitable king was an important figure in UK Christian history. We kept things simple tonight by reading the life of the saint from the OCA’s website and then the little tidbit about his feast day in Cattern Cakes and Lace during dinner. Then we enjoyed our favorite allergy free store bought ginger cookies for dessert. Back when churches had earthen or stone floors, hay and rushes (cattails) were used to warm and soften the floors for kneeling. The hay and rushes were changed out before major feast days and with Transfiguration being tomorrow that’s probably how “rushing ceremonies” became associated with St. Oswald’s feast day. When the book was written (copyright 1987) it was still common for young girls called “rush maidens” and the church choir to process to the church with fresh rushes in a handwoven linen cloth as well as mats woven out of rushes and decorations for the church woven of rushes and flowers. After church, parishioners would eat gingerbread stamped with the image of St. Oswald.
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