Is this the day where Catholics promise to give something up until Easter and go to McDonald's every Friday for Filet-O-Fish sandwhiches?

Do non-Catholics do this to?

So, if you do participate, what will you be giving up?
[This message was edited Wed Feb 25 12:20:48 2004 by Janfriend]

Yes, I am baptised Catholic, and still follow some of the customs.. (by nature I am very attracted to Buddhism, and Hinduism)

My sacrifice this lenten season is sugar.. I have become so addicted to sugar anything.. To me this is important.

And on a spiritual level, I am going to get involved with something pertaining to the elderly.

McDonald's?

Yes, this is the day. Since Vatican II, Catholics are supposed to abstain from "meat" on Ash Wednesday and Fridays during Lent (the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter). I say "meat" because seafood is permitted. (Perhaps this is the root of people identifying as "vegetarian" while still eating seafood?)

Before Vatican II, abstinence from meat was required on Fridays year-round, hence the tradition of restaurants offering fish specials on Fridays.

In addition, on Good Friday (the last Friday in Lent) and Ash Wednesday, Catholics are supposed to "fast." I use quotation marks again because this involves one full meal, two light meals, and no snacks. That's not much of a fast IMHO.

I'm not aware of any other Christian demoninations that impose the same dietary requirements. In my experience as a (former) Catholic living in mostly Protestant areas, and as someone who used to be married to a Protestant woman, it seems to be a Catholic-only thing.

And as always, I followed my embarrassing and unwitting Ash Wednesday tradition of going up to someone on the street and saying, "excuse me, you've got some smoodge on your forehea...um, nevermind..."

i think anglicans and episcopalians do lent as well. we unitarians don't do it. i grew up in a heavily catholic area and i would always feel like i was going to go to hell because my religion didn't do lent and my parents weren't really down with letting me imitate a mainly catholic practice.

Last year I gave up purchasing new CDs and DVDs.

This year, I am going to try to perform an act of charity every day.

Don't say that to Prince..lol

As a Catholic I follow it.

Anxiety said:

I did that, too--and guess where? Ireland!! I was thinkin'--"damn, I'm running into a lot of slobs today!!"

A lot of others do this..Baptists, etc. But we don't necessarily eat the fish on Fridays.

I guess I'm glad I'm a godless heathen, though I'm giving thought to giving up my vegetarianism this week for lent, and freaking my friends out by wolfing down a big, fat, juicy steak this weekend.






















PSYCHE!!!

I'm gonna give up the Org.

No, nevermind, that's just complete madness!

My 16 year old daughter has given up chocolate.

My 08 year old son is giving up ice-cream

My 07 year old son is giving up nothing...

My wife?

Me? Still thinking.