Comment: The celebrations come before and after Lent

Lent, in my words, is a time when we give. We give what is good to the poor, the needy, the children, the aged, the sick.. we give up meat, except fish on friday.. I'm going extreme.. But for most catholics, there is no meat.. and fish does not include lobster, jumbo shrimp, scallops and rich sauces.

We give until it hurts, we fast, diet, to remind us that Jesus suggered and died for us and that is the most precious gift we have. We become humble and we learn to love deeper than we dare.

We pray, we give more to the Church.

Before Lent, we have fat Tuesday, popular in some areas once ruled by the French: Mardi Gras.. (I have a bottle of Hurricane mix for my celebration) and the last feast day before Lent. Ash Wednesday, we go to Church reconfirm by recieving last year's palms burnt to ashes that are smudged upon our foreheads, and we fast and repent, give and pray, for 40 days.. basically until Easter, when we are able to feast again.