By Barbara McAllister
Word of the Day: Tawdry
You might know that “tawdry” means showy, cheap and poor quality, but did you know it was named for a saint? It’s a shortening of St. Audrey’s lace, and if you imagine the 7th century Anglo-Saxon pronunciation as “sint audrey” it’s easier to hear.
Also known as Ethelreda, Audrey was once the most famous English saint of the early Anglo-Saxon Church. Originally of noble birth, she was the daughter of a king and married twice before entering cloistered life. Ethelreda/Audrey died of a throat tumor, which she thought was divine punishment for her former fondness of wearing jeweled necklaces and fancy scarves. Her feast day is June 23, the anniversary of her death, and she is the patron saint of people suffering throat problems. On her feast day, lace scarves and cheap necklaces were sold in mass quantities to believers hoping to cure throat illnesses. Churches commonly sold souvenirs, often shoddily made, to raise money.
St. Ethelreda Church, about an hour’s train ride north of London, displays her preserved relics and is a major tourist attraction. It continues to hold annual fairs on Audrey’s feast day, but you don’t have to wait for the annual fair to buy St. Audrey souvenirs. Now you can visit one of the two church gift shops or shop conveniently online.
