Lent

[Martinus]

I've decided I hate Ash Wednesday. Every year I get tricked my the first person I see with a dirty smudge.

It's funny. For Poland being such a Catholic country I've never seen anyone like that in the street here.

[Maximus]

I had no idea this was still a sectarian or terribly religious thing. 

I had no idea this was still a thing.

[rufweed]

[dps]

I had no idea this was still a sectarian or terribly religious thing.  I had pancakes with friends last night and they were all giving something up (or going to the gym more) for lent.  None of them are religious at all.

If you take part in pancake day you should be required to sacrifice something for lent

That seems weird.  I mean, I get why non-Christians observe Christmas--the exchanging of the gifts and decorating and stuff can be fun.  But why a non-Christian would give up something for Lent I can't comprehend.

And even among Christians, at least in the parts of the country I've lived in, it's mostly a Catholic or Orthodox thing. 

[Camerus]

Some people feel challenging themselves by doing a self-sacrifice for 40 days will, if successful, increase their confidence and mojo.  Religion doesn't have to factor into it at all.

As for the question, my usual poisons.

[Scipio]

Nothing at all. Come on, not even my grandma gives up dairy.

I wanted to do the full Greek Lent inspired by Kazantzakis, but I could face giving up dairy, eggs, meat, fish, oil and wine

You get Alcohol and oil on Saturdays and Sundays.  I'm looking forward to my traditional ten pounds of lost weight for Lent.

[Sheilbh]

That seems weird.  I mean, I get why non-Christians observe Christmas--the exchanging of the gifts and decorating and stuff can be fun.  But why a non-Christian would give up something for Lent I can't comprehend.

I think people treat it like a second chance at New Year's resolutions and that sort of thing.  Plus I've known loads of people who start (or try) to quit smoking with Lent and that sort of thing.  It's pretty common.  As I say almost everyone I know is doing something for lent.

Do you guys have pancake day?

[The Larch]

That seems weird.  I mean, I get why non-Christians observe Christmas--the exchanging of the gifts and decorating and stuff can be fun.  But why a non-Christian would give up something for Lent I can't comprehend.

I think people treat it like a second chance at New Year's resolutions and that sort of thing.  Plus I've known loads of people who start (or try) to quit smoking with Lent and that sort of thing.  It's pretty common.  As I say almost everyone I know is doing something for lent.

Do you guys have pancake day?

Never heard of it, is it a British tradition, maybe?

[Eddie Teach]

I try to have Pancake Day a couple times a month.

[Sheilbh]

Never heard of it, is it a British tradition, maybe?

By the sounds of it. I always thought Americans had it though.

It's for Shrove Tuesday, before Lent starts, you eat loads of pancakes (I had cheese ones, some with cured meats and cheese, lemon and sugar, honey, syrup...) traditionally it's to use up all of the ingredients that you wouldn't eat during Lent - like butter, eggs, milk and sugar.  It's the traditional, less full-on British version of Carnival or Mardi Gras I think.

[The Larch]

Never heard of it, is it a British tradition, maybe?

By the sounds of it. I always thought Americans had it though.

It's for Shrove Tuesday, before Lent starts, you eat loads of pancakes (I had cheese ones, some with cured meats and cheese, lemon and sugar, honey, syrup...) traditionally it's to use up all of the ingredients that you wouldn't eat during Lent - like butter, eggs, milk and sugar.  It's the traditional, less full-on British version of Carnival or Mardi Gras I think.

In my region a traditional carnival dessert are "filloas", which are sorta like French crepes, so not quite pancakes and traditionally sweet, but you get the idea. 

They are also traditional in November, at the time of the "matanza", ie traditional pig slaughtering time, but those ones are made with pig blood. 

[Josephus]

My mother used to make a prinjolata. A very, very sweet cake we had before Lent.

http://www.maltabulb.com/easy_dessert_recipe.html

[Crazy_Ivan80]

That seems weird.  I mean, I get why non-Christians observe Christmas--the exchanging of the gifts and decorating and stuff can be fun.  But why a non-Christian would give up something for Lent I can't comprehend.

I think people treat it like a second chance at New Year's resolutions and that sort of thing.  Plus I've known loads of people who start (or try) to quit smoking with Lent and that sort of thing.  It's pretty common.  As I say almost everyone I know is doing something for lent.

Do you guys have pancake day?

Never heard of it, is it a British tradition, maybe?

nope, used to be traditional here too: on "Vette Dinsdag" (Mardi Gras, or the day before Ashwednesday) you ate pancakes (though I'm not sure if it's the american or 'french' version since crepes are the normal version here. Though they're called "pannenkoeken", pancakes here.)

[Sheilbh]

nope, used to be traditional here too: on "Vette Dinsdag" (Mardi Gras, or the day before Ashwednesday) you ate pancakes (though I'm not sure if it's the american or 'french' version since crepes are the normal version here. Though they're called "pannenkoeken", pancakes here.)

British pancakes are much the same as Dutch ones I think.  American pancakes are called Scotch pancakes here and are common for breakfast in Scotland.  The pancakes we have on Shrove Tuesday are closer to crepes but a little bit thicker, not least because you make them at home.

In my region a traditional carnival dessert are "filloas", which are sorta like French crepes, so not quite pancakes and traditionally sweet, but you get the idea. 

Just looked up the recipe and it's basically the same.  The British one is normally just flour, eggs, milk and a pinch of salt so you can have savoury and sweet.  Is that Galician or all over Spain?

Also what do you do with the blood?  I'm imagining like large thin slices of black pudding

[The Larch]

In my region a traditional carnival dessert are "filloas", which are sorta like French crepes, so not quite pancakes and traditionally sweet, but you get the idea. 

Just looked up the recipe and it's basically the same.  The British one is normally just flour, eggs, milk and a pinch of salt so you can have savoury and sweet.  Is that Galician or all over Spain?

Also what do you do with the blood?  I'm imagining like large thin slices of black pudding

It's basically Galician, although you can find them a bit around the NW of Spain.

And a "Filloa de sangue" looks like this:



It's basically the same recipe than the normal one, but with added pig blood in the mixture.