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Friday, April 06, 2007

Time to get folked, good & proper

Bumblebee, after listening very intently to my explanation of what Easter is, asked 'why do they call it GOOD Friday? it should be BLACK Friday or SAD Friday or BLOOD Friday or something.' Not having listened very hard in Sunday School (more mindful of all the yummies being laid out on the nearby table), I had no answer for him. It is a bit weird, since it's really a Deathday celebration. Can someone tell us why? I'd rather hear it from you than Google the answer.

Then I had an argument a discussion with Best Beloved about the fact that Woollies is closed on Good Friday; he found it inconvenient, and I supported the closure... not on religious grounds, but because if we're going to have a public holiday then it should be for EVERYBODY and I don't see why some poor 16 year old has to be outside of the term 'public'. We should, I argued, live a few days a year without shopping, and should plan our lives accordingly.

Half an hour later I really wanted to eat something specific and found myself thinking 'I'll just nip down to Woolies'. DOH! Still, I stand by my stand, so to speak. I'll just have to not eat that thing.

Something which never stops for Easter is the National Folk Festival, folking madly as I type, down the road a wee bit at Canberra's EPIC (the showgrounds). I love this time of year because I can just jump on my bike and within ten minutes I can immerse myself in all that is weird and wonderful in today's alternate minorities. Because I have a few things due on Tuesday, I have decided to work by morning, festival by afternoon. And because I live close by, that is a very realistic goal.

I've probably said this before, but I actually go to very few concerts at festivals. I'll catch a few familiar gigs by old favorites like Totally Gourdgeous, Frencham Smith and the annual 'Infinite Song Competition' (a daily round of themed covers by Festival participants. So far they've done ABBA, Queen, Bob Dylan, etc. This year it's The Sound of Music.); and I'll try to get to names that intrigue me, like The Dolls (3 cowgirls combining country, hillbilly, blues and cabaret), Nester Lou and the Slim Knackers Show, and The Transylvaniacs. If anyone out there knows of something hot coming to the Festival that I have to catch, please let me know.

Otherwise, I spend most of my time in the festival streets, checking out the beards, the costumes, the impromptu jams around oil drum fires. It's a great time of year, and the temperature is dropping every minute, so hooray for jumpers and mulled wine!

Have a great Easter/holiday, whatever you find yourself doing.

9 comments:

Enny said...

I cheated and Wikipedia'd it - it was 'Godes Friday' then 'Gods Friday' and then shortened to 'Good Friday' (like 'God be with ye' shortened to 'Goodbye').

I can't make it to NFF this year afterall - The Hun's Grandparents are having their 50th wedding anniversary in Batemans Bay! :o(

Mummy/Crit said...

Enny that is a bummer. But I'm glad you wiki'd it and got the answer for us readers who are not at the fez today and hence are hanging for an answer.

Ducky, we'll be there tomorrow, perhaps we can bump into each other.

Tim said...

I thought it was "good" as in "good for sinners because Jesus died for their sins". Bad for Jesus but.

genevieve said...

And as she also said, "Jesus died for someone's sins/But not mine."
(Patti Smith)
And as he said,
"The dripping drink our only drink,
The bloody flesh our only food,
In spite of which we like to think
That we are sound, substantial flesh and blood -
Again, in spite of that, we call this Friday good."
The (much maligned) T.S. Eliot, East Coker.
Lovely post, Duck. I think your little fellow is on the money there.
My eldest has missed the festival this year, but has volunteered twice in recent times.

Anonymous said...

With you babe re the public hollie thing - tis bad enough the poor wee mites wont get penalty rates etc etc under Workchoices(sic)- this is the ONLY way they'll get to even know what a frigging public hollie is (or should i spell that fridging? Ummm?)

Ampersand Duck said...

I've got two words for you, peoples: Kristina. Olsen.

I know I've raved about her before, but fuck, that woman can entertain. If she ever plays near you, see her. Really really.

Crit (and any other festival bloggers/nice people), go to the Never Give Up stall; it's the one that sells the official Festival t-shirts, and it's pretty central. That's our home base; I'll either be there, or ask for Ducky, and you'll be told where I am. But only in the afternoon. In the mornings I am design hooring.

Thanks Enny! Good research. I vote for Bad Friday. Sounds much more dramatic, doesn't it?

Cozalcoatl said...

Good Friday and Easter Monday are not Public Hols here.(Arizona) How strange. Any chance to get days off work. I'm missing Rowany Festival and working...bloody hell how did that happen?!

Saw a good folky duo last night. 'Sweet Wednesday' told them to go to Australia, they would be loved.

Have a good one

TimT said...

Great quote in The Oz today about a kid who went to a Catholic school in the 1950s. He asks the nun why August 15 - where the Assumption of Mary is celebrated - is actually called 'The Feast of Assumption'. The nun replies,

"Well, because Mary suddenly disappeared and nobody knows if she's coming back or where she is now, we just assume she's gone to heaven."

Anonymous said...

Have to not eat that thing? We dodged that bullet this good Friday, thanks to the lovely people at our small local shops, and most probably the new IR laws. In dire need of milk for coffee, I bribed Teej with promise of pancakes if she could hunt some down. Yes, it's Shrove Friday now. Not only did she score milk, but eggs, bacon, chocolate bunnies and genuine maple syrup. Genuine! An otherwise pleasant afternoon was kind of spoiled by us both yelling at the morons on TV, worshipping statues of Mary drizzled in olive oil. Yes, olive oil. See, if you sprinkle water or real tears on a statue, it evaporates too quickly for the masses to appreciate it and buy a t-shirt. So olive oil is used, then smeared on tissues and used to cure cancer. And this is how we build a better world. Not with peace, love and understanding, but oiled icons. One statue was even transported in a roasting tray. I kid you not. The clergy decided not to accept that one as a genuine miracle, try again next round folks...