[Sca-cooks] Lent and sugar (was A Lenten Question)

[smcclune at earthlink.net]

From: AEllin Olafs dotter <aellin at earthlink.net>

OK - Medieval Rule and Modern Practice Confusion.(As well there might be 
- we've been talking about both!)

In the Medieval Roman Catholic Church in Europe Lent was a time of Fast 
and Abstinence. One limited amounts of food, and one abstained from all 
animal products (except fish.) Notice there is *nothing* here about 
avoiding sweets or alcohol or delicious meals.

In the Modern Roman Catholic Church (I won't speak for any others,) Lent 
  is a time for spiritual discipline, handled in several ways. One 
continues to abstain from meat (but no longer eggs or dairy) on Fridays. 
And it is considered a Good Thing to find some other discipline to 
follow. The most traditional, and most common, is that of Giving 
Something Up. But now, we generally give up something we consider a 
luxury, or, perhaps, a minor vice... Sweets are common.
<<<

Very common.  

My parents always gave up sweets for Lent.  Always.  
And my birthday ALWAYS falls during Lent.  Always.

I'm still rather resentful of all the birthday cakes I didn't get to have because of my parents' lack of creativity. <pout><grin>

Arwen
(who used to give up Guinness for Lent ... but since going low-carb, I don't drink it anyway, so that doesn't work so well ... )