As an Episcopalian, Shrove Tuesday/Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras has always been an important day for me. It's a day to revel in gluttony before the celebration of Ash Wednesday and Lent. Growing up in the South, the Bible Belt, makes celebrating Lent a less common phenomenon among my friends, but my churches have still managed to make the holiday important.
Tonight I will enjoy the annual pancake supper filled with good food and fun. Tomorrow I will prepare myself for Easter, by participating in the Ash Wednesday service, where ashes will be imposed on my forehead as an outward sign of my faith.
Fat Tuesday celebrations vary around the world, and some cities celebrate this phenomenon in more extravagent ways than others. The important point is to live and enjoy these last days before the solemn period of Lent.
During Lent many people take on or give up something, to bring them closer to Jesus and God. I'm not sure what I'm doing this year, other than just focusing on my relationship with Jesus in general, and being more aware of my actions. While this is not something definite I can tell people, I think it's enough of an answer for me, and that is what matters.
If you celebrate Lent in your faith, what are you doing?
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