You Western Christians and your funny Lent.

Sundays ARE a part of Lent for us. Then again, Holy Week is not (nor are Palm Sunday nor the Saturday preceding it, which we call Lazarus Saturday). Thus, we get to feast (eat fish) on Palm Sunday. Also on the Annunciation. (We get to eat caviar (bleh!) on Lazarus Saturday, but few of us avail ourselves of this -um- opportunity.)

Other than that, it's no fish, dairy, or meat from Clean Monday (that's today) to Pascha (a fast of 49 days, although the week BEFORE Lent begins is also a fasting week, when we eat fish and dairy but not meat, for a total of 58 days meat-free).

It's a wonderful time of renewal and soul-searching and cleansing. And it's a really cool experience to do it together, as a group. We're all going through the same thing, and the solidarity it builds in the parish is palpable.

Y'all and your "giving things up" and "taking things on" are so cute!

Our hymns are set by the Lenten Triodion, a book which --well-- sets our hymns for the Lenten period. So there's no question of what we want to sing or don't.

Have a wonderful and glorious Lent, everybody, and a bright and happy Easter!

Alex