For good Catholic girls like us, today is Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Tuesday or, if you wish, the horrible name, Fat Tuesday. What is the significance of this day? Well it’s the day before Ash Wednesday, but other than that I’m not really sure. Maybe you are supposed to fill yourself up with pancakes before you fast on Ash Wednesday. I could google it, but instead I will let someone feel smart and comment with the answer.
At my school this morning, we all enjoyed McDonalds pancakes. They were delicious. After school my friend Chris that I carpool with said to me, “I’m so full of pancakes. I had seven. And two donuts.” which made me laugh pretty hard.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, in which us good Christians give something up or do good deeds to commemorate Jesus walking through the desert for 40 days and nights. As children, our mom always made us give up television for Lent because she hated us watching it. We weren’t really allowed to watch it much any other time of the year either, but that didn’t really matter when we all had four sisters always around to entertain us. It worked, because none of us (well except Lauren) are big television watchers to this day.
To be honest, I can’t really remember if I’ve given anything up in recent years, so that probably means I haven’t given up anything too significant. This year, inspired by my previously mentioned pancake-loving friend, I will be giving up junk food of all sorts. My working definition of junk food is “anything that I would feel guilty eating.” Since I am a bridesmaid in Erica’s wedding in May, and a bride in my own in August, this is probably a good idea, Lent or no Lent.
What I like about Lent is that there is a set time limit. New Years resolutions are so difficult to keep, I think, because the time limit is something more like “forever.” Nobody can give up junk food forever.
So today I ate my last pancake and tonight I made my last batch of popcorn. Let the fasting begin…
And you? Will you be giving up anything for Lent?
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Okay here goes my smart answer. The reason we eat pancakes is to use up all the stuff in the house that you should not eat during Lent (or the fast). Such as eggs, butter, sugar and milk. Apparently we should not eat dairy or meat during Lent if we were true Catholic girls lol. That’s what I told the kids anyways hope it’s right!
I like what you said about Lent being a set time unlike resolutions. At work they had this thing before Christmas that was 90 days of “clean eating”. Basically, for the 90 days before Christmas you were to eat clean (whatever that interpretation is for each person) and then exercise. The clean eating was broken up into two parts of the day. I guess the point of this is to not eat bad in the morning and decide the day is “ruined” so you just eat pizza rolls for dinner or whatevs. Anyways, long story short – good luck with your Lenten goal! I need to decide on mine tonight…
oh, and that sounded like we were forced to do that clean eating – but it definitely was voluntary! The bank hasn’t got THAT crazy yet!
wayy to make it sound like I’m the only one in our family who watches tv, and I watch mad amounts of it. I watch like 3 shows, and I only watch them on the internet.
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I also gave up junkfood!! And pop…
I went out today and bought a bag of doritos to eat and get me through the Lent season.
Last year I gave up pizza – that was torture for me!
I’ve decided to give up junk food too (as I tweeted to you earlier) and I’m pretty sure Michelle was bang on about the reason we eat pancakes (I remember googling it last year). I’m also giving up desserts though and will only allow myself one dessert when my friend celebrates her birthday (because it’ll be that kind of a girl’s night).
I do wish one day to go to a Mardi Gras celebration on Shrove Tuesday!
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No worries Lauren- I like watching tv too!!
I am giving up being jealous of Scott’s junk food that he eats after 7. Meaning I won’t eat it and will try not to care. and I want to try to do a workout video about twice a week.
My kids attend a Catholic school and I was shocked to hear they had pizza day today with pepperoni…WHAT?!?
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I’ve never really learned about any of this until I started dating Mister, his family is American and Lent is apparently much bigger in the US? Or something?
I’m not really Christian but it’s something his family does so I’m giving up soda pop for Lent. I can get behind fasting here and there! =)
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Michelle…you gave up pizza?! I could never do this!
I am Catholic but Polish, too, so for us today was Paczki (pronounced “poonchkey”) Day! And it started like Michelle said, to get rid of all sugar, eggs, lard (butter), & we also included fruit, before Lent. I will be giving up ice cream because even in these cold temps we have had in Michigan, I can still eat it almost everyday! (cookies & cream is my fave) Thanks for another great post!
i’m giving up junky food as well with micaela.. that way when we go grocery shopping together we can remind one another that we can’t purchase certain items.. i’m also giving up purchasing clothing until i’m completed teachers college.. i know that really doesn’t count but it will help with my pocket book!
I gave up cheese, deep fried foods and pop one year. It was really hard! Some form of cheese is a very popular ingredient in most things.
Good luck everybody!!
Glad to see a fellow Catholic blogging about the joys of Lent haha! I decided to go along with you and give up something that might help me get in a little better shape, its not weddings for me but Spring Break. I gave up fried food this year… and never did I think about everything thats fried, like chips! But good luck in your junk food giving up, sounds too encompassing for me, but looks like you have the right motivation and mind set!
it’s free pancake day at IHOP, too! I never made that connection…until now.
I won’t formally be giving anything up for lent, but I’m going to try and stop eating at restaurants for a while.
no wayyy …popcorn (well, smart pop) can’t fall under junk! it’s got loads of fibre!
but yes, i too, have been pretty slack about giving something up for lent for a while. i’ve always not eaten meat on fridays, sometimes on wednesdays too. but this year, i’m going to give up buying coffee. including sbucks, 2nd cup, timmy’s (sucky, b/c roll up the rim is back!), and the caf at work which is supercheap when you bring your own mug. le sigh.
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