Yesterday’s blog discussed Tuesday. Today we’re going to talk about Wednesday – specifically, Ash Wednesday. Today, Catholics, and many other Christians, will have ashes applied to their foreheads in the shape of a cross. The ashes symbolize penance, mourning and mortality. The ashes are made by burning the blessed palms that were distributed the previous year on Palm Sunday.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent which is celebrated for 40 days leading up to Easter. But if you take a look at a calendar, you’ll notice that the time between Ash Wednesday and Holy Saturday is 46 days. Sundays are not included in Lent.
Traditionally, people, especially Catholics, choose to eat fish, not meat, on Fridays during Lent — but — there are some interesting exceptions to the rule…
In 2006, several American bishops gave a special dispensation to eat meat on Friday during Lent because St. Patrick’s Day fell on a Friday and it is traditional to eat corned beef for his feast day.
A couple of years ago, the National Bishop’s Conference approved the consumption of alligator on Friday, because alligator is considered to be in the fish family.
In the 1600s, a group of monks in France allowed Puffins to be considered fish, since their natural habitat was as much terrestrial as aquatic. So the bird could be eaten on Fridays.
In the Republic of Ireland, Ash Wednesday is also National No Smoking Day, too. Since quitting smoking can be very hard, it has been tied in with giving up vices and pleasure for Lent.
So today is Ash Wednesday — don’t tell people that their foreheads are dirty.
Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.
— 30 —
Looking back I think we were actually spoiled on Ash Wednesday and Friday’s during Lent…though my siblings may disagree, not sure, we may have to take a poll. Our family practiced the tradition of meatless Friday year round. Our Mom made a variety of meatless meals, pancakes being one of them, that I enjoyed. The sacrifice came when we had actual fish, bleah, but there were usually mashed potatoes to hide it in. Honestly though, who would not like meals of macaroni and cheese, cheese pizza, french toast, pancakes, pirogi and the best one of them all potatoes and dumplings! We always gave something up for Lenten sacrifice and would bring home “rice bowls” for the family to donate to.
Even though we’re technically old enough that we don’t have to, we still practice those things too. We don’t have meatless meals every Friday, but we do on the special days, and Fridays during Lent. I usually give up “something” during Lent and we get the rice bowl from church. I never grew up with these traditions, but I’m not only good with them now, I wouldn’t want to not participate…