Drunken orgies and gaudy, sexual, out of control paraders are not 'Fat Tuesday' or 'Shrove Tuesday' traditions. (I couldn't even find a typical 'Mardi Gras' image clean enough to put on this blog!) It has always been a day for using up the rich and decadent foods given up during Lent, which starts with Ash Wednesday (tomorrow).
On Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, Catholics have parties, rich foods like pancakes, and cakes in general. They might have a pancake or cake party with dancing, but everything ends at midnight when they pray an Our Father for a Holy Lent, then call it a night.
Liz made a really delicious King Cake and took it to work today - it was devoured!
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| It looked like this. |
We eat really well during Lent, lots of healthy soups and breads, very little fattening or unhealthy food. Meat usually once a day. Very good for cleaning out the system.
During Lent you also give up an item that you love or an item of convenience you've grown too attached to - you might carpool instead of drive to work, give up Lattes or cigarettes or sodas. And you work hard to practice a virtue - see right hand column above.
In fact, many Catholics take the time during Lent for daily spiritual reading - like the Church's history or a life of a saint, a virtue, etc.
Catholics love Lent - everyone thinks we suffer, but it helps harden our ability to control ourselves, and for 40 days at least, we hopefully improve in many ways. Besides that, every Sunday is a Feast Day, and you can't fast/abstain on a Feast Day!
The spiritual preparation of Lent makes the Resurrection, or Easter, much more meaningful.
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