A SURPRISE AFTER CARNIVAL!

When the carnival party is finished, it is very traditional for us to arrive and old lady called “La vella quaresma”. Her main characteristic is that she has 7 legs ( these are the weeks that we have to go through before Easter comes) . In her hands, she is carrying  a cod, the tradition says that this woman was in charge of the children’s diet. She had to make them eat fish instead of meat, during the quaresma’s period, that is what the Christian tradition says.
 Every week we take off one quaresma’s leg, and she gives us a little present;  kisses, salty cookies, candies, and the last day she gives us all the ingredients to make a very special cake: “la mona”. This cake is eaten on the resurrection’s sunday, usually the uncles give it to their nephews.

The cooks

"La Mona"

Visiting “La vella Quaresma”

 Catalan: Una sorpresa desprès del carnestoltes!

Quan acaba el carnestoltes, a Catalunya arriba a les escoles la vella quaresma. La vella quaresma és una velleta que té 7 cames (tantes cames com setmanes falten per menjar la mona!), i porta un bacallà a les mans, la tradició diu que era l’encarregada de que els nens i nenes mengessin peix, enlloc de carn,  durant l’època de quaresma, com mana la tradició cristiana.
Cada setmana arrenquem una cameta a la vella quaresma i  ella ens porta un petit obsequi; petons, galetes salades, caramels, i l’últim dia ens porta  ingredients per a fer la mona! La mona és un pastis que ens mengem tradicionalment el diumenge de resurrecció i que els Padrinets i padrinetes regalen als seus fillols.