Generations of London children have prattled1 the nursery rhyme that begins,
一代又一代的倫敦兒童都唱過這樣一首童謠。童謠的開頭是這樣的：
「Oranges and lemons,」say the bells of Saint Clement's;
「橘子和檸檬，」聖克萊門特教堂的鐘唱道；
「You owe me five farthings2,」say the bells of Saint Martin's.
「你欠我5法尋，」聖馬丁教堂的鐘唱道。
This Church of Saint Clement Danes in the Strand3 long served the spiritual needs of London's Danish merchant community, hence the「Danes」in its title. Historians have noted that at one time fruits, imported from Spain, used to be unloaded at a wharf on the Thames that once adjoined the old churchyard. Other researchers suggest that there was once a custom in the neighborhood of employers distributing fruit to their servants on certain occasions. Still others, however, are satisfied with the explanation that precious few words besides「lemons」rhyme with「Clement's.」In March 1920 the first「Oranges and Lemons」service was held. Fruit donated by the local Danes was distributed to all children in attendance. Today's service is performed by youngsters dressed in the red and white of the Danish flag. They recite the nursery rhyme in its entirety4 while playing the tune on handbells5. Afterwards the children line up under the ivywreathed stone doorway. Each child receives one orange and one lemon.
坐落在斯特蘭德大街的聖克萊門特丹麥人教堂長久以來一直是倫敦丹麥裔商人的精神支柱，所以教堂名中有「丹麥人」這個字眼。歷史學家說，有一段時間，從西班牙進口的水果曾在泰晤士河的一個碼頭卸貨。這個碼頭曾經與該教堂的舊址毗鄰。還有一些研究者認為，過去有一個習俗，這一帶的僱主們在某些場合會向僱工分送水果。而另一些人則確信這樣的解釋，沒有幾個詞能像lemons(檸檬)那樣押上Clement's(克萊門特)的韻。1920年3月舉行了第一次分發橘子和檸檬的儀式，當地丹麥人捐贈的水果被分發給所有參加活動的兒童。如今，這項儀式由穿著象徵丹麥國旗的紅白兩色服裝的兒童主持。他們全文背誦那首兒歌，並用手搖鈴伴奏。