Remember the Ember

Today marks the beginning of a marvelous and atmospheric time of year. It is the first of the autumn Ember Days! They are today, Friday and Saturday.

I remember brooding way back when about the Ember Days and how they enchant me. The fall Ember Days are my favorite because autumn is such a mystical time of year. It will not be too long until we fall back into Eastern Standard Time and it is dark starting at 5 p.m. I love that time of year, I have to say.

That is when you need your glowing embers! As in this painting by Tissot.

Reading back on my old Ember Days post there are things I forgot. It is funny how my mom said she had not heard of the Ember Days in a long time. I remember discussing the Ember Days with Leonard Pennario too. We used to talk about stuff like that and Confession.

Here is one thing new that I learned just today from this one priest's Web log that I follow. The Ember Days are the reason for the Japanese deep-fried dish Tempura. Who in the world knew that? That is Tempura pictured in that food porn at the top of this post. As if anyone does not recognize it. I would know Tempura anywhere, I will tell you that right now.

During the Ember Days you avoid eating meat. And Japanese Catholics in the 16th Century came up with Tempura as a yummy way to eat shrimp when you were fasting. The word "Tempura" comes from the Latin word for "times." "Quatuor Tempora" refers to the Ember Days.

It is funny how deep-frying is a universal response to fasting! Here in Buffalo we have the fish fry.

Folklore has it that the weather on this Ember Wednesday is a forecast of how the weather will be in October. We shall see.

Meanwhile I have a craving, or shall we say a yen, for tempura.

Must have!