The Mardi Gras festivities end with Ash Wednesday which marks the first day of Lent for Christians. Why are we talking about Ash Wednesday? What are the prohibitions? Here’s what you need to know about the day after Mardi Gras.
After the Mardi Gras Partycomes a much more solemn day this February 22 because it is the Ash Wednesday. In the Christian religion, this important date marks the first day of Lent before Easter. According to tradition, believers must observe a period of fasting and prohibitions for 40 days. Origin, traditions, fasting… Here is 4 things to know about Ash Wednesday.
What is Ash Wednesday?
For Christian believers, Ash Wednesday symbolizes the first day of “purification” of body and mind during the period of Lent. During this day, Christians show penance, confessing their faults with the will not to repeat them again. They also follow three practices: prayer, fasting and almsgiving towards the poorest people. The objective for the faithful is to rethink their way of life, to refocus on them and their loved ones.
Why is this day called Ash Wednesday?
The name “Ash Wednesday” refers to a tradition which would have been set up by Pope Gregory Iaround the year 591. When the faithful go to church on Ash Wednesday, the ashes of the last year’s palms (burnt during Lent, a week before Easter) are used during the mass Ashes and placed by the priest on the foreheads of the faithful in the form of a cross.
When can we eat on Ash Wednesday?
During Ash Wednesday, the faithful must do without one meal during the day, usually the midday meal, and refrain from eating meat. Practitioners can therefore eat in the morning and in the evening for dinner, respecting a frugal diet, with simple foods and scant quantities.
Why does Lent last 40 days?
Lent lasts 40 days because in the Bible, it refers to the forty days of Christ spent in the desert between his baptism and the beginning of his public life. This duration thus symbolizes “times of preparation for new beginnings”according the Catholic Church of France.
What is the origin of Mardi Gras?
Originally, Mardi Gras was a pagan Roman festival that celebrated the end of winter and therefore the arrival of spring. In the Roman calendar, this day was also the occasion to break the prohibitions by dressing up and eating more than necessary. Mardi gras was then taken up in the Christian tradition to be associated with Lent. For Christians, Lent is a 40-day period of fasting and restriction that ends on Easter Sunday. Mardi Gras therefore precedes “Ash Wednesday” which is the first day of Lent.
What is the difference between Mardi Gras and Carnival?
Mardi Gras and Carnival are two closely related celebrations. They have one thing in common, that of falling during “the week of the seven fat days”, just before a time of fasting (Lent). Another similarity between the two festivals: the festive side as well as the disguises of young and old. Finally, Mardi Gras marks the last day when food and amusement bans do not exist.
What are the traditions of Mardi Gras?
Today, Mardi Gras is celebrated in different ways around the world. In France, the tradition of Mardi Gras is to prepare sweet treats before eating them. Children also wear their best disguise, and sometimes even make-up, for fun.
All costumes are allowed for the occasion: a ladybug, a butterfly, a dinosaur, a superhero, a knight costume, a princess… Young and old enjoy putting themselves in the shoes of another character for a day. What if we looked at wild animals? Lion, tiger, panda or panther are popular costumes for Mardi Gras. Not to mention the disguises clown, magician and mermaid… Here are some costume ideas to make yourself or to shop to give you ideas:
Donuts, bugnes, waffles… What do we eat at Mardi Gras?
Mardi Gras is also known for its sweet culinary traditions. In the past, it was a question of using the reserves of butter, oil and eggs so as not to waste them during the fasting period of Lent. From, on the day of Mardi Gras we traditionally eat pancakes, waffles or donuts (and all its regional variations!).