Doesn't feel much like it to me, there's still snow on the ground, the sky's 50 different shades of grey, and no-one that I've exposed my chest to so far has given me any beads, maybe I should have shaved it?
It's much more like some kind of Shrove Tuesday, yeah, that fits better... Shrrroooooooove Tuuuuuuuuuesdaaaaaay! - How typically, boringly British.
Hmmm... How can I make, what is probably the most boring holiday of the year (other than in N'Orleans, obviously) even remotely interesting?
Nope... I got nothin'
We could do a bit of etymology I suppose, that's always good for a giggle *cough*
The 'Shrove' of Shrove Tuesday is the past tense of 'Shrive' which means, I believe, to confess, or to hear someone's confession - So, not only do you not get to eat any nice fatty, sugary food for the next forty days, you have to tell someone what a bad boy you've been first - Seriously? And they wonder why religious observance is on the decrease!
Mardis Gras is literally 'Fat Tuesday' in French, again all to do with the not eating of comfort food for the next six weeks or so. Which is decidedly un-French (I mean, they invented Foie Gras (Fat Liver), Creme Brulee AND collaborating with the Nazis)
The word Carnival (and in all honesty, I hadn't heard this before today) is believed, by some to come from the Italian phrase 'Carne Levare' meaning 'To remove the meat' (Stop giggling at the back) - again, all about giving stuff up for Lent.
There's another thing, I don't know if any of you know any observing Religionites, but I've noticed that very few of them actually give up traditional things for Lent, instead of not eating fatty foods (Unless they were planning to diet anyway) they'll often plump for (sorry, couldn't help myself) significantly easier things, like Sky Sports, chocolate biscuits, boiled sweets, beer (but not stout) or saying the word Brobdingnag in polite conversation.
Surely if you're going to re-create The Quadragesima, you should be out in the desert living off cactus and hamsters or it doesn't count? And what's all this about getting Sundays off? - It seems that Sundays aren't classified as your actual Lent anymore, which presumably why McDonalds tends to look suspiciously full on Sundays between Mid-February and April.
People just aren't as devout as they used to be are they?
Except the Fillipinos of course, I mean, they still crucify themselves on Good Friday - with nails and everything. Another place filed in the 'Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there' folder.
See you tomorrow kiddies, when I'll probably tell you how tasty my (made from scratch) pancakes were.
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