The prelude to Lent. This Thursday ("Fat Ash Thursday" for our community) ZERA will be feasting on lasagna as a nod to Fat Tuesday while honoring a personal story, before we turn towards ashes and readiness for Lent. Today is the day to use up the luxury food items (traditionally by making pancakes) while preparing to enter a season of solemness. Historically, this made sense as a last celebration of Winter food stores (that were about to go bad) and a bracing for the tough months ahead while anticipating the coming of Spring (and a fresh food supply). We paired our tough season with the reminder that Jesus faced tough seasons as well... including 40 days without any food.
Quote for the day: "I don't feel like I'm being invited into Lent, more like I'm tazered into it." (MIPC staff meeting)
WIKIPEDIA SAYS:
Fat Tuesday ("Mardi Gras" in the French) is the day before Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent), and is also called "Shrove Tuesday" or "Pancake Day".
...
The reason that pancakes are associated with the day preceding Lent is that the 40 days of Lent form a period of liturgical fasting, during which only the plainest foodstuffs may be eaten. Therefore, rich ingredients such as eggs, milk, and sugar are disposed of immediately prior to the commencement of the fast. Pancakes and doughnuts were therefore an efficient way of using up these perishable goods, besides providing a minor celebratory feast prior to the fast itself.
...
The word shrove is a past tense of the English verb "shrive," which means to obtain absolution for one's sins by confessing and doing penance.
No comments:
Post a Comment