The Pagan holidays calendae refers to the calendar of annual festivals and celebrations observed by various ancient and pre-Christian pagan cultures. These holidays were typically based on agricultural or natural cycles and were deeply rooted in the worship of nature and its cycles. One of the most prominent pagan holidays calendae was the celebration of the winter solstice, known as Yule or Saturnalia. This festival marked the shortest day and longest night of the year and symbolized the rebirth of the sun. It was a time of feasting, family gatherings, gift-giving, and lighting fires or candles to bring warmth and light back into the world. Another important pagan holiday was Ostara, which celebrated the vernal equinox and the arrival of spring.
Another important pagan holiday was Ostara, which celebrated the vernal equinox and the arrival of spring. It was a time of fertility and new beginnings, with rituals often centered around planting and growth. Traditions such as decorating eggs and giving gifts of flowers were common during this festival.
Beans are magic
Yes, I do have a bean-shaped sofa and bean art. Art by Molly Reeder . Sweater by Home Cooking , where they discuss beans often.
I would like you to reconsider the humble bean. Beans are often seen as an also-ran: beans are a side dish, beans are a component of a meat dish, beans are something only hippies and vegans eat as a main course. Beans are the probably-fine-but-not-great alternative to what you actually want to eat. And they make you fart. But I am here with recipes for beans that are more delicious than their meat alternatives. I am here with science to take the farts out of beans. I’m going to show you how to care for beans the way beans care for our planet. I’m not here to tell you to replace all of your meat consumption with beans, but I do believe if you try these recipes you will add beans to your rotation a few times a week because they are delicious.
I love beans and I want you to love them too
I have bean art. I have a bean sofa. I make a different kind of dried bean from Rancho Gordo every week. I have no relationship with Rancho Gordo, I just really like their heirloom beans. Shipping to Canada is expensive, so I only buy beans twice a year – 26 bags at a time (maximize that flat-rate shipping!). One bag of beans for each week of the year. (Canadian friends: use this link to view the beans they’re able to ship to Canada).
I get 26 bags of beans at a time, twice a year. This is my most recent shipment!Trying new beans is fun for me, I value novelty. It’s important to me to support biodiversity in our food system, which is why heirloom varieties are great to buy. And while they seem expensive at $10 per 1lb bag after shipping, these fancy beans make affordable meals: each bag of beans makes 6–8 cups (3+ lbs!) of cooked beans. That’s only $1.60 per serving for a delicious and high protein meal if you buy the fancy beans. If these prices scandalize you, you can buy great farm-traceable Canadian-grown beans from Flourist for $7/lb. Oak Manor sells organic, Canadian-grown beans for around $3.20/lb. You can, of course, buy non-organic beans grown elsewhere in the world for around $1/lb, but I would encourage you to buy locally grown, organic products if you can afford to. One last sales pitch on price: a whole chicken only yields 45% of its weight in meat, so you would need to spend $15–25 on a 6.5lb chicken to get the same amount of food. Sure, you can use the chicken bones to make broth – but the beans make broth too! We treat meat and plant proteins differently in our hearts, on our plates, and in our recipes. You might dry brine a whole chicken overnight in the fridge, roast it with aromatic vegetables, and serve it with a sauce made from the drippings. You might turn the meat into chicken pot pie filling and turn the bones into broth. You transform the chicken with care. But with beans, most people open a can and throw them in a pot and hope for the best? Stop and think about that for a minute: if someone told you they don’t like chicken, and their only experience was opening a can of chicken (yes, that exists), would you accept that they don’t like chicken? You would not. You would describe a roast chicken. You would probably make them a roast chicken. Brothy beans are the roast chicken of beans. Baked beans are the pulled pork of beans. Shakshuka doesn’t have (or need) a meat equivalent because it’s incomparably delicious. Home-made soy milk will change your feelings on soy, and making your own hummus will save you so much money (everybody loves hummus and it doesn’t need a sales pitch). All of these recipes are below and on my website. You should add beans to your rotation because they are delicious. You can also eat beans because they are good for you, because beans help rebuild our soils and remove nitrogen from the atmosphere (300x more potent at heating the earth than CO2). You can eat beans because they are affordable. But mostly you should eat beans because they are magic. I want you to believe in magic.
Objection handling
In my previous work, as the CEO of a tech startup, I had to wear both my sales and marketing hats. Product positioning and objection handling were tactics we needed. In most sales situations you aren’t selling against another product, but against the status quo – the change nothing option. It’s really hard to get people to change their habits, especially lifelong food habits. Beans have a lot of objections. Let’s handle them.
How do I know what kind of bean to use in each recipe?
- Bean Density: Are they firm and hold their shape when cooked for a long time, or soft and cream, but fall apart if cooked too long?
- Bean Taste: Are they mild or nutty?
- Bean Size: Are they large or small?
You can usually get away with using any bean in any recipe, but a mild creamy bean will make for better baked beans because they absorb all the other flavours, while an earthy, nutty, dense bean will make better refried beans because they taste like beans. Follow the recipe recommendations, or swap with what you have and/or like.
They’re your beans.
When in doubt, make soup. Or stew. Or dip. Or baked beans, chili, pasta e fagioli, pasulj, feijoa, refried beans, bean salad, bean curry, daifuku, beans and rice, bean protein bowls, or simply put beans on toast. There are countless ways to make them.
Is it worth soaking beans… overnight… in salt water… with seaweed?! (Yes.)The pagan holiday calendae also included Beltane, a celebration of the summer solstice and the peak of fertility in nature. It was a time of merriment, dancing, and bonfires, with rituals aimed at promoting abundance and prosperity. Maypoles were often erected and dancers would weave ribbons around the pole, symbolizing the intertwining of male and female energies. Lughnasadh, also known as Lammas, marked the beginning of the harvest season. It was a time to give thanks for the abundance of the land and to honor the grain god, typically through feasting and offering the first fruits of the harvest. Games, music, and storytelling were also part of the festivities. Finally, Samhain, also known as Halloween, was the pagan holiday calendae that marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It was believed to be a time when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was thinnest, and rituals were performed to communicate with ancestors and spirits. People would often wear costumes and light bonfires to ward off evil spirits. Overall, the pagan holidays calendae were a reflection of the deep connection between ancient cultures and the natural world. These festivals were an important part of their spiritual and social lives, allowing them to come together as a community and celebrate the cycles of nature. Today, many of these traditions are still observed in various forms by modern pagan and neopagan communities around the world..
Reviews for "The Sacred Festivals of Pagan Calendae: An In-Depth Guide"
- Mary - 1 star
I did not enjoy reading "Pagan holiddys calendae" at all. The story was confusing and lacked a cohesive plot. The characters were poorly developed and I couldn't connect with any of them. The writing style was also difficult to follow, with unnecessary descriptions and excessive use of metaphors. Overall, it was a disappointing read and I would not recommend it.
- John - 2 stars
"Pagan holiddys calendae" had an interesting concept, but it fell short in its execution. The pacing was extremely slow, making it hard to stay engaged with the story. The author also introduced too many subplots and characters, making it difficult to keep track of what was happening. Additionally, the dialogue felt unnatural and forced. I wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, it just didn't live up to my expectations.
- Sarah - 2 stars
I was expecting a gripping and atmospheric read with "Pagan holiddys calendae," but I was left feeling disappointed. The book lacked a clear direction and the plot felt disjointed. The transitions between different time periods were confusing and left me feeling lost. The writing style was also overly descriptive, to the point where it became distracting. While the concept was intriguing, the execution fell short for me. I struggled to connect with the characters and the overall story, making it a forgettable read.