As you all know, Pass-over is over.
Like you have in the US the preparation for X-Mass and new years eve, in Israel many kids (and adults) preper for months to Lag Ba'omer. The main concept of this holiday is that we make fires, eat Marshmallow and baked potatoes in the fire. All over Israel you may find kids with "borrowed" shopping carts, walking along the sidewalks, with wood, doors, plates. everything that will burn. Some building contractors are making outside the location they work on piles and piles of wood, so kids will not dissemble their work in order to get more wood. Of course drinking beer, wine, and everything else.We used this Lag Ba'omer to make a final use of many many pieces of wood we had lying around the house, and burnt them. Don't worry, we have plenty more for next time.
On the fire we placed a big Potjie pot . this amazing pot, weights about 10 KG, is made of solid iron, and makes good food. you can see in the link above the potjie pot in action. they all look the same in action, and they taste quite the same.
Me and my friends decided on making this meal/campfire in our garden.
I have made a few years ago a hole in the ground, just for these capfires.
From right to left: Rel, Uri, Beer, Shani, Iddo, A friend of Shahaf, Hagay, Shahaf (which I don't really know), Beer, Ron
Calling one another (after cutting all the gevees and meat) we figured out that we might be 2 guys eating this 8 littre pot of food. but the rescue came. one friend brought another (it is a free meal, after all), and than ima, aba & safta came also to eat. From a candle light dinner (with food to last forever), we were eventually 11 people, and the pot was over.
About the meaning of the name: "The Omer Count" is the period between Pass-Over and Shavuot (free translation: weeks). Shavuot is on the 49th day from passover - 7 weeks. During that period the religion says that you are not allowed to "party" (weddings), shave, or even go the the sea for a swim. There are some more restrictions, I think....
Lag Ba'omer is the 33rd day from passover, where the Hebrew letter for L is counted as 30, and for G is 3 (we do not have voule letters). In Lag Ba'omer day and the day after there are no restrictions, so that means that in that particular day there are many many weddings.
posted by RonSha @ 1:35 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Looks like fun. Your pot also looks a lot like one of Gary's "Dutch ovens" which is a heavy cast iron pot that is used to cook in the fire--especially to cook Gary's famous peach and apple cobblers. I don't happen to have a picture, but you'll see them next time you go to Canada.
Cool. Ron, you're carrying the torch from your Dad on explaining holidays. Until this point, I only new it as the "bonfire holiday". I assumed it was another holiday similar to what Keren has told me about: "they tried to kill us, they failed, so we eat and party".
i have a few comments.
1) i think this year there were no weddings, because it was saturday (our holidays don't necessarily fall on the same day of the week every year).
2) as far as i remember, lag baomer also denotes killing, but i think this time it was a plague that killed many bible students. the last related death was on that day. but i'm not sure.
3) when we were very young, probably 3-5 years old, Omer used to be very upset about this holiday. he kept thinking that i am teazing him saying that soon it will be Lag baOMER. as a result he demanded to know when will be lag baKEREN ;D
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