Kate Hodges

By Kate Hodges

26th January 2022

Create a ritual for Imbolc and dance with dragons at Lunar New Year, join the Big Garden Birdwatch and laugh at vintage films! Plus kick off cultural 2022 in Lewisham, experience the incredible Ray Harryhausen exhibition and learn about cutting-edge gardening.

Kate Hodges

By Kate Hodges

26th January 2022

Kate Hodges

By Kate Hodges

26th January 2022

EVENT AND MAKE SPRING WHISPERS
In pre-Christian times, Imbolc or Candlemas – celebrated next Tuesday – was known as the ‘feast of lights’ and marked the half-way point between the shortest day and the Spring equinox. We have some ideas for celebrating it here and here and inspiration for another family ritual here, and find out more about how to mark the cycle of the year with your family here.
Historically, at this time, candles would be lit in order to give reassurance to others that they were not alone, and that the sun would return. It’s still a chance to celebrate the live-giving power of the sun, as its rays start to gain in strength. Crepes are traditionally eaten on this day – there’s a recipe for them here, alongside other Candlemas treats, including Honey Cakes and Gingerly Baked Custard. Or why not do some Candlemas-themed crafts? Try this hand-cranked storyteller, bend reeds to make a Brigid Cross, pour candles or carve them.

EVENT, RECIPES
TIGER TIGER

Gung hey fat choi! Sunday is Lunar New Year, celebrated across South East Asia. Head to Chinatowns in London, Manchester, Liverpool or Birmingham to watch dragon dances, pop music shows and to fill tummies with dumplings and noodles. Or celebrate at a museum of gallery near you – the free parties in London at The Museum of the Home and the Maritime Museum sound particularly fun this year, while Liverpool’s Lady Lever Art Gallery is set to celebrate in February. Bristol Art Gallery will come alive to the sounds of live music and fun on February 5-6 (check out the incredible Grayson’s Art Club show while you’re there). This is the year of the tiger, a time of risk-taking and adventure (find out more about what the year has in store, and the characteristics ascribed to babies born in the year of the tiger here). Why not try some origami at home? There are diagrams for each animal in the Chinese zodiac here. Alternatively, whip up a vegan Chinese feast; try mushroom and tofu potstickers, spicy kung pao lentils or Jamie Oliver’s very easy noodles.

DO
OUR FEATHER
This weekend’s RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch is a low-key, inclusive way for even the smallest of children to connect with nature. It’s the world’s largest garden wildlife survey – every January, half a million people spend an hour counting the winged creatures that come into their garden, balcony or park. This year, why not fill in the section about other wildlife you’ve spotted in the garden; hedgehogs, frogs and other wildlife are all facing tough times, and you could help build up a fuller picture of how our garden creatures are faring. Download a pack and join in the fun.

EVENT LONDON CULTURE

This year’s London Borough of Culture is Lewisham, and it’s worth having a snoop through the year’s programme and planning a visit. The opening celebration takes place on Friday, with every school student in the borough performing a specially choreographed dance (you can join in the fun online). Elsewhere, artists in residence lead sing-a-longs, spoken word performances and sculpture-making from abandoned objects, while others collaborate to weave an ‘identity tapestry’ telling the story of the borough. Find out more here

EVENT FUNNY FALLS

Love clowning? Or black and white films? Head to Bristol (or online) for a weekend of custard-pies-in-faces, silly faces and lots of falling over. The Slapstick Festival combines the old with the brand-new. There are film screenings – think Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton classics with a live music accompaniment, celebrations of classic comedy – hear David Mitchell picks his top comedy moments and witness a TISWAS reunion – or see kids TV hero Andy Day introduce instant-classic Paddington. Full line-up here, and find online events here. Ticketed.


WHAT WE’RE READING Ways of seeding: the designer changing the way we look at gardening: “With a background in fashion and art, Errol Fernandes brings a creative eye to designing outdoor spaces. Overseeing the gardens of a city museum is a somewhat atypical post in the gardening world, but a fantastic one. Horticulture is combined with history, education and storytelling, which inform plant choices, design and presentation. Errol Fernandes, head of horticulture at south London’s Horniman Museum and Gardens, which houses the collection of the 19th-century tea trader Frederick John Horniman – says conversations with visitors regularly stray beyond gardening into the realms of art, collections and curation.” Read more here

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING The incredible Ray Harryhausen exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art is on until February 20. If you can’t make the celebration of the man who created some of the most iconic monsters in film history in person, the virtual experience is almost as good. An online ticket includes events, and this Wednesday’s chat featuring Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson should be a lot of fun.

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