Significant Days during Lent: Shrove Tuesday (aka Pancake Tuesday and Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras) – This is the day before Ash Wednesday. Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the tradition of shriving—i.e., a Christian confessing his sins and receiving absolution for them. It was also the last chance to Read more…
The Council of Nicea referred to Lent as tessakaronka, Greek for “forty.” The Latin is Quadragesima, which means “forty” or “fortieth.” In the Latin countries of Italy, Spain, and France, Lent is referred to by a name that derives from this Latin word: Quaresima (Italian), Cuaresma (Spanish), and Carême (French). Read more…
Today Lent is a 40-day period of repentance, fasting, self-examination, and preparation for the coming of Easter. However, the earliest evidence of Lent as a season lasting 40 days comes from the Council of Nicea, in 325 A.D., which refers to it in one of its canons. Prior to the Read more…