Happy Fat Tuesday. Some people refer to this as Mardi Gras...Guess what? Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday!" Some may even go as far as saying Carnival...that is just another part of the world celebrating for a whole week. What are they celebrating? Basically, it is a period of gluttony before a fast. This fast is the 40 day period just before Easter. This fast has been around for centuries. Fasting has always been used in religious devotion to purify the individual fasting. The number 40 has always been used to symbolize purification: Jesus in the desert, the Israelites in the wilderness, Moses on Mount Sinai, and Noah on the Ark.
I have continued to revisit my Catholic roots each year as Lent comes around. I have fasted from various things. My favorites are chocolate, soda and swearing.
This year I am doing a trifecta of give ups.
1. Social Media*-I scroll way too much. It gets in the way of lots of things like reading, hanging with my kids, and being mentally healthy and less anxious.
2. Soda-I have started to crave soda around 3:30 every single day. This shows me that I am relying on caffeine a bit too much. Some may even say that this is an addiction.
3. Sugar-This has also been a favorite way to self soothe of late. I have been in the thick of things as my life has been turned upside down. Chocolate, cookies, and Nerd Clusters have become my security blanket. I also feel that this blanket has been screwing up my skin and my gut. So, bye bye sugary treats. Hello Salad...we meet again!
Do any of you practice Lent? If so, what are you refraining from this year?
May the force be with us!
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| Donuts earlier this week. |
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| Shamrock Shake: Part of Fat Tuesday |
