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St. Catherine -- one of the Fourteen Holy
Helpers -- was a brilliant young woman of noble birth who went before
the Emperor Maximinus to correct him for worshipping false gods and to upbraid
him for his persecution of Christians. He sent some of his greatest scholars
and philosophers to debate her -- but she ended up converting many of them,
and they were put to death and Catherine was beaten and jailed. The Emperor's
wife, intrigued by Catherine, went to visit her with the head of the Emperor's
troops. They, too, were converted and put to death. Then came Catherine's
turn; she was condemned to die on the wheel, but when she touched it, it
shattered. She was then beheaded. Legend says that the angels carried her
body to Mt. Sinai. She is the patron of unmarried women, students, philosophers,
craftsmen who use wheels (e.g., potters), lacemakers, and milliners. It was
she, along with St. Margaret and St. Michael, who visited St. Joan of
Arc.
Customs
On St. Catherine's
Day, it is customary for unmarried women to pray for husbands, and to honor
women who've reached 25 years of age but haven't married -- called
"Catherinettes" in France. Catherinettes send postcards to each other, and
friends of the Catherinettes make hats for them -- traditionally using the
colors yellow (faith) and green (wisdom), often outrageous -- and crown them
for the day. Pilgrimage is made to St. Catherine's statue, and she is asked
to intercede in finding husbands for the unmarried lest they "don St. Catherine's
bonnet" and become spinsters. The Catherinettes are supposed to wear the
hat all day long, and they are usually feted with a meal among friends. Because
of this hat-wearing custom, French milliners have big parades to show off
their wares on this day.
The French say that before a girl reaches 25, she prays: "Donnez-moi, Seigneur,
un mari de bon lieu! Qu'il soit doux, opulent, libéral et agréable!"
(Lord, give me a well-situated husband. Let him be gentle, rich, generous,
and pleasant!") After 25, she prays: "Seigneur, un qui soit supportable,
ou qui, parmi le monde, au moins puisse passer!" (Lord, one who's bearable,
or who can at least pass as bearable in the world!") And when she's pushing
30: "Un tel qu'il te plaira Seigneur, je m'en contente!" ("Send whatever
you want, Lord; I'll take it!"). An English version goes,
St Catherine, St
Catherine, O lend me thine aid
And grant that I never may die an old maid.
And there is this,
a fervent French prayer:
Sainte Catherine,
soyez bonne
Nous n'avons plus d'espoir
qu'en vous
Vous êtes notre patronne
Ayez pitié de nous
Nous vous implorons à genoux
Aidez-nous à nous marier
Pitié, donnez-nous un époux
Car nous brûlons d'aimer
Daignez écouter la prière
De nos cœurs fortement épris
Oh, vous qui êtes notre mère
Donnez-nous un mari |
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Saint Catherine
be good
We have no hope
but you
You are our protector
Have pity on us
We implore you on our knees
Help us to get married
For pity's sake, give us a husband
For we're burning with love
Deign to hear the prayer
Which comes from our overburdened hearts
Oh you who are our mother
Give us a husband |
... which is summed up more quickly in this, an English prayer:
A husband, St.
Catherine
A handsome one, St. Catherine
A rich one, St. Catherine
A nice one, St. Catherine
And soon, St. Catherine
Another French saying is "A la Sainte Catherine, tout bois prend racine"
-- "on St. Catherine's day, the trees take root." Gardeners know that today
is a good day for planting trees...
 Now, because St. Catherine is
the patron Saint of lacemakers, and because Queen Catherine of Aragon --
the first of Henry VIII's six unfortunate wives -- was also associated with
lacemaking, it is a good day to think of the latter woman, too. The pious,
Catholic Queen Catherine is said to have taught lacemaking to the poor of
Ampthill while the divorce she fought all the way to Rome was pending, and
she is also said to have burned all her lace only so she would have to order
more, thereby keeping the poor lacemakers employed. In honor of the Saint
and of the good Catholic Queen, "Cattern Cakes"
1 are eaten today:
Cattern
Cakes
2 pounds bread dough
2 oz lard or butter
1 oz caraway seeds
2 oz castor sugar
1 large egg
Prepare the dough, then knead in the lard or butter, caraway seeds, sugar
and egg. When the ingredients are well mixed, divide in two, kneading one
piece to fit into a 2 lb greased loaf tin. Divide the second piece into two
and knead each half to fit a 1 lb loaf tin, then cover with a damp tea towel
and leave to rise until the dough reaches the top of the tins. Bake 20-25
minutes at 400 degrees. Serve sliced and buttered.
If you have a trained
pyrotechnician in the house, the lighting of the firework known as a "St.
Catherine's Wheel" would be a very showy thing to do. A Catherine's Wheel
is a long tube filled with powder and coiled around a wooden center which
is attached to a stationary pole of some sort. When lit, centrifugal force
rotates the coil very quickly, and as it burns, a wheel of colored flames,
sparks, and smoke is produced. Other pinwheel-shaped objects are described
as "Catherine Wheels," -- e.g., rose windows are called such.
Footnotes:
1 "Cattern Cakes" are also known as "Kattern Cakes"
and by other spellings.
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