September

There we all were getting comfortable with August, joking and laughing and offering it coffee and buns when there was a knock on the door and in walked September!
"Goodness, look at the time!" Said August and left out the back door with a promise of calling and writing and sending us a thank you card for the coffee.

Since it IS September and there's very little we can do about it, we may as well have a few factoids to try and get ourselves familiar with this naughty little month.

In Germany, September marks the beginning of Oktoberfest. Makes perfect sense, right? I thought so too but before we start tutting and making insinuations about Germany's lack of timing, let's remember that the country is practically fuelled on beer and therefore it's amazing the German public can even stand or see let alone know what month it happens to be.

Similarly, in China, September is the month in which August-Moon Festival is celebrated. The traditional food to be served at this festival is 'Mooncake' which is flown in especially from the moon and is made by The Clangers - the little sock-like creatures that inhabit the moon and make little whistling noises... they look a bit like otters if you squint your eyes and turn your head to one side.

In the Netherlands prinsjesdag occurs which, from what i can gather, is when the queen arrives in a coach made from pumpkins, turns into a talking cartoon mouse then reads out her plans for the coming year (probably with the aid of some marker pens*, a flip-chart and an overhead projector).

Libra is the star-sign of the month and anyone born under this astrological sign is meant to have scales or something. Fish have scales, you know...and tasty underbellies and stoopid swishy left-to-right moving tails and fat eyeballs. In fact, don't get me started about fish or we'll be here for weeks.


*supplied by kangaroos