2197 #NotTooMuchLent

There was time when holidays meant more than they do now. Or at least we knew what they meant. I was talking to someone the other day about Mardi Gras, and how it was the last big bash before Lent, and he asked me what Lent was.

I confess, I'm no authority, having not come from a Catholic upbringing, but somewhere along the way I did pick up that it was a period of fasting before Easter. And that folks gave up things for Lent. 

The Lenten season is determined by backdating from Easter and coming up with the appropriate Good Friday, Palm Sunday, Ash Wednesday and Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday. By the way, it’s a little hard for Irish Catholics, as Mardi Gras is before St. Paddy's day. They need to make sure not to promise to give up green beer and beads for Lent.

Yes, they have a choice. It used to be that Lent was a period of fasting from everything mildly indulgent; rich food, alcohol, partying, things you really liked to do. Lent was about sacrifice. But nowadays not so much. You can give up belly button lint-picking for Lent and it counts. 

Me, I like to give up "making sacrifices" for Lent.

Anyhow, because folks now have the choice, polls show that 31% of Lent observers say they are "fasting from technology" this year. 16% are making the extreme sacrifice of giving up social media. Hashtag I give up tweeting.

Oh the humanity, giving up Facebook for forty days. How will you post pictures of your boring trips to the mall?  I'm sure the Lord will be impressed with the depth of your sacrifice. 

Maybe he can have the Holy Spirit Dove tweet you the old-fashioned way.

America, ya gotta love it.