Shrove Tuesday - From "to shrive" or the "shriving bell" which called one to confess one's sins prior to the beginning of Lent. This is the first year I've done so. I think it will be a tradition. 40 days is plenty time to fit in two separate occasions of Penance. Starting and ending Lent with forgiveness. I like it.
Pancake Day - Named so for the using up of fats, eggs and flour before the fasting of Lent. Any day you can have pancakes and Paczki on the same day is a good day in my book!
Purple Represents Justice. Green Represents Faith. And Gold Represents Power.
Yum...lemon-filled at that!
Mardi Gras - "Fat Tuesday" - same idea...eat, party, have fun. Tomorrow we begin the dark days of Lent.
Truthfully, I do think they will be "dark" days around here. Less TV, less arguing, more reading, prayer and snuggling. As we build to the events of the Easter Triduum, it is so important that we prepare our hearts and minds as much as possible. Even as an adult, that is difficult for me. To fathom how and why One would take on the sins of the world (and for the likes of me!) is astonishing, humbling, overwhelming. I am hoping to take Sil to Good Friday services this year so that she can begin to appreciate some of the power of that day. It has always been one of my favorites. (I'm Slovak - we tend toward the dark and serious things). Yes, the soundtrack from "Jesus Christ Superstar" will have to make an appearance as well ;)
But, for today, let's party! Enjoy ourselves and our families and have a feast. Blessings to all of you, my friends. May you have a faith-filled and very fruitful Lent!
Too bad we don't live closer together. Fat Tuesday was celebrated with a sweet heavy brunch here. It was a day off from school so the kids were running rampant and the ladies were enjoying the food and fun. You would have fit right in.
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