March 8.]

CARE SUNDAY.

This day, the ancient Passion Sunday, is the fifth Sunday after Shrove Tuesday. The word Care, which is also applied to Christmas Cakes, has been a stumbling-block to etymologists. The following remarks respecting its derivation are taken from Hampson’s Med. Ævi Kalend. (1841, vol. i. p. 178):—T. Mareschall observes that the day on which Christ suffered, is called in German both Gute Freytag and Karr Freytag, and that Karr signified a satisfaction for a fine or penalty. Adelung speaking of Charfreytag (Care or Carr Friday) and Charwoche (Care or Carr-week), observes that the first syllable is supposed to be the old Cara, preparation (Zubereitung), and that this week, conformably to the usage of the Jews, was called Preparation Week (Zubereitungswoche) because the sixth day was Preparation day (Zubereitungstag), when the Jews prepared themselves for Easter. Hence the Greeks called Carfriday, Dies Parasceves, of which the Gothic Gartag, or Garfreytag is a translation.

Tatian (Cap. 58) names the Friday before Easter “Garotag fora Ostrum,” and renders the phrase, “My heart is prepared,” “Karo ist mein herza.” Schiller’s opinion, however, that Char, Kar, signifies mourning, complaint, sorrow, has equal probability; for it appears from ancient manuscripts that Car formerly bore the signification of Care or grief, and in Sweden, where the fifth Sunday in Lent is denominated Kaersunnutag, the verb KÆra is actually to lament, to complain.

Dr. Jameson, adopting the opinion of Mareschall, observes, “This name may have been imposed in reference to the satisfaction made by our Saviour. Some, however, understand it, as referring to the accusations brought against him on this day, from the Sueo-Gothic KÆra, to complain.”—Etymol. Dict., Art. Care Sunday.

On this day, in the northern counties, and in Scotland, a custom obtains of eating Carlings, which are grey peas, steeped all night in water, and fried the next day with butter:

As to the origin of this custom, Brand (Pop. Antiq. 1849, vol. i. p. 114) offers the following explanation:—“In the Roman Calendar, I find it observed on this day, that a dole is made of soft beans. I can hardly entertain a doubt but that our custom is derived from hence. It was usual among the Romanists to give away beans in the doles at funerals; it was also a rite in the funeral ceremonies of heathen Rome. Why we have substituted peas I know not, unless it was because they are a pulse somewhat fitter to be eaten at this season of the year.” Having observed from Erasmus that Plutarch held pulse (legumina) to be of the highest efficacy in invocation of the Manes, he adds: “Ridiculous and absurd as these superstitions may appear, it is quite certain that Carlings deduce their origin from thence.” This explanation, however, is by no means regarded as satisfactory.

Hone (Every Day Book, 1826, vol. i. p. 379) says, How is it that Care Sunday is also called Carl and Carling Sunday; and that the peas, or beans of the day are called Carlings? Carle, which means a Churle, or rude boorish fellow, was anciently the term for a working countryman or labourer; and it is only altered in the spelling, without the slightest deviation in sense, from the old Saxon word Ceorl, the name for a husbandman. The older denomination of the day, then, may not have been Care, but Carl Sunday, from the benefactions to the Carles or Carlen. A correspondent of Notes & Queries (1st S. vol. iii. 449) tells us that on the north-east coast of England, where the custom of frying dry peas on this day is attended with much augury, some ascribe its origin to the loss of a ship freighted with peas on the coast of Northumberland. Carling is the foundation beam of a ship, or the beam on the keel.

Cambridgeshire.

In several villages in the vicinity of Wisbeach, in the Isle of Ely, the fifth Sunday in Lent has been, time immemorial, commemorated by the name of Whirlin Sunday, when cakes are made by almost every family, and are called, from the day, Whirlin Cakes.—Gent. Mag. 1789, vol. lix. p. 491.

Yorkshire.

The rustics go to the public-house of the village, and spend each their Carling-groat, i.e., that sum in drink, for the Carlings are provided for them gratis; and a popular notion prevails that those who do not do this will be unsuccessful in their pursuits for the following year.—Brand, Pop. Antiq., 1849, vol. i. p. 114.