Almost partied out? Thinking about that day after Fat Tuesday, when you have an excuse to do nothing at all, except maybe go to church and receive ashes on your forehead? Not so fast. There is another holiday right around the corner.
Here is the dilemma. If you are Catholic, as so many in south Louisiana are, and you believe in observing Ash Wednesday, and you have a significant other, you might be caught in a bit of a quandary.
This year, Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine’s Day. The holiday celebrates St. Valentine, a Roman priest who was imprisoned and tortured for performing secret marriage ceremonies against the command of Emperor Claudius the Second.Valentine is known as the patron saint of lovers.
Commercial celebrations of this day have reached a fever pitch, resulting in any number of indulgences that include, but are not limited to flowers, candy, cards, fancy dinners, champagne, romance and (maybe) even fancy bedroom attire.
Ash Wednesday, on the other hand, marks the start of Lent, a time when Catholics and others are called to practice fasting and abstinence.
Around here, that means a lot of people give up a lot of stuff (see the list above). As you might imagine, Catholics around the country had some questions about this. So much so, that the Archdiocese in Chicago issued a statement in response to the inquiries.
“Catholics throughout the world recognize Ash Wednesday as the solemn beginning of a period of prayerful reflection and penance,” the statement read. “The obligation of fast and abstinence must naturally be the priority of the Catholic community.”
What’s a romantic Catholic to do? Catholic leaders suggest celebrating the day before, on Fat Tuesday. Down here, that might not be possible.
The takeaway here is simple. These are some things you should avoid (if you subscribe to the aforementioned beliefs) and some things that are perfectly OK.
1. No steak dinner for you and your lovebird.
2. Chocolates, champagne, probably a no-no as well. Especially if she or he gave any of that up for Lent.
3. No wild night out of dancing. Reverence rules. Although, for most of us here, that should be easy the day after Fat Tuesday.
4. No hanky panky. See reason above.
5. Flowers? Probably fine and, in most cases, totally appropriate.
6. Cards? Of course. They come in all shapes and sizes and they don’t have to be wacky or inappropriate to get your point across.
7. Making a date to attend church together? Definitely OK.
8. Changing religions? Not recommended. But hey, who are we to judge?
All I have to say is, good luck figuring this one out, guys. Oh, and Happy Valentine's Ash Day