Lent
Today is the first day of lent. I didn’t know until 8pm last night! How did Lent come by so quick. I did not fast last year and I had decided to fast this year. I quickly prepared myself mentally that I have 4 hours until fasting begins.
I woke up this morning starving!! I had a 10 am meeting with people drinking coffee around me and the smell of it was mmmmm mmmmm mmmmmm. I left that meeting to a second meeting which was at Le Notre. I got there at 11:30, half an hour before breaking fast. Everything around and in the restaurant smelt good… I ordered an espresso a bit before noon and had my first sip precisely at noon. I had sushi for lunch. I had the Issa from Maki. After I was done eating, someone told me they have mayonnaise in their sauce. Oh well, I didn’t know.
Let the countdown begin. 49 days left until Easter and until I have chocolate and burgers again. Those are what I am craving for right now. Let’s see how long I will last. It is the first time I fast completely.
Why does Lent start on Monday in Lebanon? Isn’t it supposed to start on Ash Wednesday (the day after Mardi Gras)?
And what are the rules for Lebanese fasting? it sounds different from what I’m used to, which is more or less u just pick what u want to fast from. U have to wait until noon every day to eat?? I just moved here, so I’d like to learn about the Lent customs. Good luck fasting, I’ll be joining you from day after tomorrow!
February 19th, 2007 | #
I don’t know why it starts on Monday, but I also knew lent is 50 days long, and Easter is the second Sunday of April. We have it as Ash monday and not wednesday.
As for how we fast, it is not a Lebanese thing but internationally that’s how Catholics are. You are supposed to fast from anything that comes from animals.
Some Lebanese also simply pick a few things to fast from instead of the whole no animal thing. That’s what I used to do.
As for the midnight to noon thing, I don’t know if its just a Lebanese thing or internationally.
February 19th, 2007 | #
Thanks for the speedy reply, Rampurple! It actually made me even MORE curious, so I checked Wikipedia –
On fasting from animal products (which I’ve never done, though I’m Catholic): “Today, in the West, the practice is considerably relaxed, though in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Catholic Oriental Churches abstinence from the above-mentioned food products is still commonly practiced, meaning only vegetarian meals are consumed during this time in many Eastern countries.”
On ashes on Monday instead of Ash Wednesday: “…[S]ome Eastern Rite Catholics, who follow the Orthodox calendar but Catholic practices, are anointed with ashes on Clean Monday, leading to the occasional term “Ash Monday.”"
And I’d guess the not eating before noon practice derives from the this: “Fasting during Lent was more severe in ancient times than today. In some places, all animal products were strictly forbidden, while others will permit fish, others permit fish and fowl, others prohibit fruit and eggs, and still others eat only bread. In some places, believers abstained from food for an entire day, others took only one meal each day, while others abstained from all food until 3 o’clock. In most places, however, the practice was to abstain from eating until the evening and then a small meal without meat or alcohol was eaten.”
Just fyi
February 19th, 2007 | #
I thought Lent was just giving up something & not fasting.
February 19th, 2007 | #
Oh wow Sam! Those are interesting facts. It makes more sense not to eat all day instead of this noon thing. I think it’s easy not to eat or drink until noon. I definitely crave for my coffee and cigs but it’s only until noon.
February 19th, 2007 | #
Haha, yeah I agree. Sometimes when I’m really busy, I don’t eat till evening anyways…
In college I participated in the Ramadan fast-a-thons, where non-Muslims fasted for a day… but I’d always cheat and smoke, figured the main thing was not eating or drinking
February 19th, 2007 | #
“Fasting during Lent was more severe in ancient times than today”
Well sam, believe it or not many Lebanese pratice a very severe lent, and i have many in my family who dont eat ‘bayad’ or meat or chicken during the whole lent ( my mum for example heh).
Also, my uncle used to not eat during the last weekend of lent, for 3 full days or two.
I do recall one argument Orthodox have with Catholics during the lent, about eating fish or not .. Catholics ( Maronites) eat the fish while the ORthodox consider it as meat.
Am fasting on bread this year, not eating till noon is very easy for me, i rarely have breakfast and i dont drink coffee or nescafe so no big deal.
February 19th, 2007 | #
[…] Lebanese blogger Rampurple is observing Lent this year. “Let the countdown begin. 49 days left until Easter and until I have chocolate and burgers again. Those are what I am craving for right now. Let’s see how long I will last. It is the first time I fast completely,” she writes. Amira Al Hussaini […]
February 20th, 2007 | #
That is the first I heard of Clean Monday. Most of us start Lent tomorrow, and today is Fat Tuesday.
February 20th, 2007 | #