so it begins.....Edited

Feb 17, 2010 15:43

For many liturgical Christians, this is Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of our season of Lent: a time of fasting, Abstinence, Prayer , and preparation for Easter ( Read more... )

vegan, fasting, repentance, raw food, lent, prayer, ash wednesday, vegetarian, caffeine, diet

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Comments 15

amergina February 17 2010, 20:54:49 UTC
Eastern Catholics and Orthodox started Lent (The Great Fast) this past Monday, (Clean Monday). :-)

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fabricdragon February 17 2010, 21:49:50 UTC
i knew the orthodox started earlier, but wasnt sure when!
and a friend told me that the "no meat" and the "no eggs/dairy" start on two different days?

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isabelladangelo February 17 2010, 21:07:41 UTC
Just remember, Lent is not about "giving up" anything -you don't have to give up anything. It's about doing something for the period of 40 days that will bring you closer to God and/or understanding God.

I'm reading about the lives of various Saints each day for the duration of Lent.

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stori_lundi February 17 2010, 23:03:45 UTC
I thought that Catholics could do fish, as it is technically not "meat". (I never did understand this.) A history tidbit - beaver was so popular during one period that the church deemed it to be "fish" because it lived in the water and swam so they could eat it during Lent.

Today, we Quakers have to remember not to say, "Hey you've got schmutz on your forehead." ;)

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fabricdragon February 17 2010, 23:20:47 UTC
yup, the usual "abstain from meat" does not include fish ( ... )

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start_0ver February 18 2010, 10:13:17 UTC
That schmutz comment? Almost me today. I was fully aware that Tuesday was Mardi Gras, I just always manage to forget about Wednesday! I went to class and luckily remembered before I commented on one of my classmate's foreheads! Yeah, that would have been bad.

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fabricdragon February 18 2010, 15:11:00 UTC
most observant folks get used to it... every year *someone* at the very least goes "oh, rriiiiiight ash wednesday! i wondered why some folks looked dirty"

as long as you are polite i dont think most of us mind, its the ones who are rude that get annoying....

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marphilly February 18 2010, 01:29:37 UTC
I might try that medieval style one year when feeling penitentially ambitious.

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bwliadain February 18 2010, 01:51:47 UTC
Western Easter and Orthodox Pascha happen to be on the same day this year - Cheesefare/Forgiveness Sunday was this past Sunday, Meatfare Sunday the week before...
(Orthodoxy has no Ash Wednesday, BTW, so no schmutz...:-)

Here's a link to the traditional Great Fast rules -
http://southern-orthodoxy.blogspot.com/2010/02/rules-of-fast-orthodox.html

Basically, no animal products of any sort (except shellfish/critters without backbones), no olive oil or wine weekdays... children, old folks excempt... sick folks consult doctor, etc...

I wonder how much the hits on vegna cooking sites go up this time of year?

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fabricdragon February 18 2010, 02:10:19 UTC
AH?
oh my apologies, i thought it was 'ash wednesday" for Orthodox also....... my mistake.

i expect hits on the vegan boards go up. a lot.
i expect even for people who are just trying to skip, say, meat... that hits on vegetarian sites go up a lot.

i am myself trying to stick to the orthodox fast rules... or the medieval ones.
no meat, milk, eggs, or derivatives therof, and i am going to see if i can skip olive oils..and other oils, as much as possible.
i found out i have to make my own bread for tomorrows bean soup, since the bread my hubby eats has dairy in it :(
ah well, its a good thing to have a bread machine. Flax seed meal is what i use instead of oil/butter

wine isnt an issue, since i rarely drink it.

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bwliadain February 18 2010, 06:10:40 UTC
Comparative traditions is fun!
No Ash Wednesday - but then we don't get Mardi Gras either... ;-) Hmm, I wonder whether Byzantine Catholics have AW? (Now I gotta go find out!)
I have to modify the fast for health concerns, but I know I visit the veg sites a lot- love bean soups and potato soups and veg soups, but sometimes you gotta CHEW something! (And I also use flax seed meal!)

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fabricdragon February 18 2010, 15:16:42 UTC
bread
my bread recipe is vegan if you skip the honey! (of course if you can have honey you can leave it in) no butter OR oil, i use flax seed meal!!!

5 cups assorted whole grain flours (usually a mix of red and white whole wheat) if you add amaranth or rye or what not you substitute that for some of the flour
2+cups water
honey
salt
yeast
wheat gluten (cause i use a bread machine)
flax seed meal (instead of butter or oil)
OPTIONAL:
sesame seed (calcium and mineral source)
sunflower seeds
pumkin seeds

i just made a loaf. YUMMMMMMMMM.

we dont get Mardi gras either up here.. i mean, its a possibility. but really Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) is just the "last day to use up the meat guys!" its more or less a regional tradition by this point..
i have a bean soup in the crock pot right now.

that and salad.. i just bought a "no cook vegetarian saucs" book,at whole foods, it gives recipes for lemon dressings, tahini dressings, sesame sauces, etc...
many of them no oil (or could be made no oil)

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