כי לא מחשבותי מחשבותיכם

כִּי לֹא מַחְשְׁבוֹתַי מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵיכֶם, וְלֹא דַרְכֵיכֶם דְּרָכָי

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Tradition!

If you ever wondered how traditions (minhagim) start, check this story out:

In the Godforsaken town of Olney, Bucks, there is a yearly pancake race. Women over 18 don a scarf and apron and are supposed to run holding a frying pan.
People do crazy things.
It finds its origin in a legend, as described in the article:
The story suggests one woman heard the church bells ring for the service and was so worried about being late she fled her house and ran down the High Street still clutching her frying pan and wearing an apron.
This event has been commemorated ever since with Olney women, complete in traditional apron, cap and holding a frying pan with a real pancake, running through the town.
Now, God forbid we should change that tradition!
And indeed, this year, a man on the BBC payroll, got dressed up in an apron and a scarf, holding a frying pan and…came third in the race!
The response of the BBC:
A spokesperson for the BBC said: "The Olney pancake race organisers were keen Blue Peter covered the event and Helen Skelton, its female presenter is currently kayaking in the Amazon for Sports Relief, so they gave Joel special dispensation to take part in the race.
"It would not be in the style of Blue Peter to simply film the race, the whole thing about the programme is that the presenters take part."
See? Heteirim (dispensations) lead to giluy arayois (sexual frivolty)!

1 comment: