Ash Wednesday Bird Buns
“It is said that whoever bakes bread on this day will be helped by the Lord God himself and all the saints.”
This year I’m making my bird buns today, Ash Wednesday, a day that was considered auspicious for baking bread to my Czech babky.
These were traditionally an Easter treat, but based on information in Elizabeth Wayland Barber’s book The Dancing Goddesses I use mine in a bit of Slavic folk magic to coax spring into returning.
I time this to coincide with my personal date for drowning Morana—St. Gregory’s Day (folkloric date)/my birthday. I drown Morana on this nontraditional date to match our climate and kick off my devotional year.
In folk tradition, Saint Matthew was associated with the arrival of early spring. In the Chod region and South Moravia, it was said that sparrows had a wedding on this day.
“On St. Matthew’s Day, the human heart will warm, the sun will devour the snowdrifts, and the lark will sing over the field.” —Czech proverb
Bird wedding Old St. Matthew’s Day 2025
In addition to the usual “our fathers” and “hail Mary’s” that I chant while kneading the dough, I drew a cross on the dough with the ashes to match the one in my forehead. The remainder of the ashes will be divided in two—half to be sprinkled in some last offerings upon this land, and the other half saved for wherever we end up.
Recipe here
