A couple of weeks back (11th May), in answer to MariaAntonia’s #picoftheweek challenge, I featured an oak gall (The Very Gall). An oak gall is also known—incorrectly—as an oak apple. These are oak apples.
An oak apple: 3 May 2019
And another oak apple: 3 May 2019
It’s the gall’s immature form—the newly formed uterus, as it were—and it appears around this time of the year. Which explains why Restoration Day is more commonly known as Oak Apple Day.
However, for readers not steeped in British history, this might require some explanation.
Restoration Day, aka Oak Apple Day, dates back to May 1660 when Parliament passed into law—in its wonderfully convoluted language—that all British citizenry were henceforth to keep every 29 May as a public holiday.
Why that day? It was the day Charles II (son of the deposed and executed Charles I) rode triumphantly into London to restore the English monarchy and put an end to the Protectorate (think Roundheads, Cromwell, and the abolition of Christmas and all fun and games; the restoration of the fun and games was certainly worth celebrating). The oak was chosen because, it was said, after the Battle of Worcester (September 1651) Charles had hidden in an oak tree to effect his escape from the Roundhead army.
However, said public holiday was abolished in 1859. So, there you know. Is it worth reinstating? We could beat each other about the body with oak leaves!
Information gleaned from Wikipedia.
crispina kemp 
The King’s escape is also commemorated in the great number of hostelries named, “Royal Oak,” so they say.
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Hmm, yea, I suppose that is the source of the name. Never thought of that.
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Sounds like it’s a mixed bag. True, you got rid of those pleasure-killers, the Puritans. But you got saddled with a royal family which doesn’t actually do anything a family of cats couldn’t do as well, and look prettier and cost less, in the bargain.
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Ah, the non-Brits’ complaint of our Royals. And most Brits do agree. And I admit I do struggle to name their worth. And then the answer comes to mind: Like Stonehenge and Avebury, like the old Roman remains, like the great cathedrals and remnants of castles, the Royals are part of our heritage and are a considerable tourist draw.
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Of course, so is Jack the Ripper.
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And I know it was once thought he was one of the Royals but …
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Prince John de Ripper, Duke of Lynch, Knight of the Garter, no doubt.
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Born 1905, wouldn’t he be too young?
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He had a killer of a pre-natal life.
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I don’t always read what’s on the screen, at first take. So I read this as, He had a killer rat in the pre-natal life
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😉
You’ve just set up a future Jack-the-Ripper crossover with the Williard/Ben killer rat movies.
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Do I get paid for that?
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Oh, didn’t you realize? You even get a role in it!
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A cameo rat? I don’t have that big a nose. No I do not, shut up.
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😉
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Thank you for not arguing that point
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Most interesting!
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Thank you, Dale
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I think reinstating it now would leave the day celebrated as just a day off, not so much a celebration if English history. I’d say it’s unlikely to be reinstated, but what fun if it were!
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Think of the money could be made on it. Couldn’t use real oak leaves to bash your neighbour about the head. What would that do to our oak trees. So there’d have to be plastic oak sprigs, the way we have holly, ivy and mistletoe. Then I expect the pc-brigade and H&S would whittle on about potential injuries and … hey, we’ve got the Puritans all over again. Although. do we not see signs of those already?
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If we have Puritans again, why not reinstate a celebration from the 1600’s, yes?
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Um, isn’t that a contradiction in terms? Puritans. Celebrations?
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Haha true!
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What an interesting response!
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I love to hear about all manner of holidays and weird celebrations and symbols, so put me down for celebrating, whether the holiday is officially celebrated or not. Especially if there will be some interesting food or drink to consume that is specific to that day, that’s always fun.
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I’m wondering what be included in the food and drinks catergory. Possibly nothing to our liking.
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Nothing made from oak galls, that’s for certain! But I’ve always been curious about eating acorns, maybe in bread or mash.
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Oh, acorns require so much processing to get rid of the tannin. You shell them pound them, wrap them in non-waterproof material, suspend them in running water for about 3 weeks. Or you can bury them. Then you dry them, and grind them. Then they’re ready for use. It’s hard to believe they were ever anything other than emergency food.
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Yes, there’s a good reason they’re considered famine food and not staple food. Although there was one group that used them for staple food if I remember correctly… must have been desperate.
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I believe that could be a tribe of Californian Indians. I think that’s where I found the recipe, though I could be wrong
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Thanks for sharing this! Enjoyed the history.
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You know it’s my pleasure
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Another lesson learned. What a source of knowledge you have become in my world!
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I thank you, and it makes me grin.
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