Hornazo is a Spanish

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 meat pie eaten in the provinces of Salamanca

Salamanca

Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...

 and Ávila

Ávila (province)

Ávila is a province of central-western Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered on the south by the provinces of Toledo and Cáceres, on the west by Salamanca, on the north by Valladolid, and on the east by Segovia and Madrid. Ávila has a...

. It is made with flour and yeast and stuffed with pork

Pork

Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....

 loin

Loin

The loins are the sides between the lower ribs and pelvis, and the lower part of the back. It is often used when describing the anatomy of humans and quadrupeds . The anatomical reference also carries over into the description of cuts of meat from some such animals, eg...

, spicy chorizo

Chorizo

Chorizo is a term encompassing several types of pork sausages originating from the Iberian Peninsula.In English, it is usually pronounced , , or , but sometimes ....

 sausage

Sausage

A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...

 and hard-boiled eggs.

In Salamanca, it is traditionally eaten in the field during the "Monday of the Waters" (Lunes de Aguas) festival. The name of this unique festival supposedly comes from a twisting of the word "enagua," or petticoat

Petticoat

A petticoat or underskirt is an article of clothing for women; specifically an undergarment to be worn under a skirt or a dress. The petticoat is a separate garment hanging from the waist ....

, which the prostitutes of the town used to wear under their dresses. During Lent

Lent

In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...

, tradition tells us that the prostitutes of the town were sent to the other side of the Tormes River, so that the men of the town were not distracted during the religious observances. On the Monday of the Waters, the students of the town threw a party on the banks of the river to celebrate the return of the women, and ate hornazo as part of the celebration.

Hornazo in other parts of Spain

In other places in the country there are dishes similar to hornazo that contain hard-boiled eggs

Egg (food)

Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...

 as a primary ingredient. In some parts of Spain a bollo de hornazo is a sweet and dry bread which is decorated with hard-boiled eggs. These dishes are also traditionally consumed in and around Easter

Easter

Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...

. This may be because long ago, eggs were considered a sort of meat, and were therefore prohibited during Lent, a fact that did not stop the chickens from laying eggs. The eggs were preserved by hard-boiling them, and then used for cooking in dishes like hornazo. From this tradition it is probable that Easter eggs came into being, but their exact origins are unknown.