Cloved lemon

2003-07-24T17:03:37Z

130.95.224.1:

'''Cloved lemons''' are often handed around at [[feast]]s or [[camping event]]s. Love it or hate it, it's a [[tradition]] that is engrained in [[SCA]] culture. Here's what happens:

Someone approaches you with a cloved lemon. You can do one of two things.
# Take the cloved lemon.
# Politely refuse the cloved lemon.

If you choose option 1, you take a [[clove]] out of the [[fruit]] with your teeth (don't bite too hard into the clove. It'll taste revolting, and it'll make your whole mouth go numb ;) The clove is supposed to freshen your breath. You then indicate to the person who gave you the fruit where to kiss you - often the hand, cheek or lips, it depends on your comfort level with the person who gave it to you. You then find another victim - oops! person to pass it on to.

If you choose option 2, and there is NO shame at all in doing this. It is not impolite to refuse a cloved lemon, and your decision is respected (and often understandable). There is, of course, the other option - whenever you hear mention of a cloved lemon being passed around, to just avoid it like Plague (''see: [[Black Death]]'') and go outside for a cigarette.

Why do we use cloved lemons?<br>
In period, you never wandered up to a stranger and introduced yourself. You were always introduced by a third party. This is a little to rigid for our modern society. Instead, we have taken the third party and made it a lemon.

Cunnan - User contributions [en]

Cloved lemon