I had lunch at Congee Star on Friday, and the servers there wear orange shirts. I wanted to say something, but I don't think they'd get it.

I personally can't stand fish so our family either eats cheese pizza or cheese ravioli. Not much of a sacrifice.;)

Ok, so for a little clarification (I'm Catholic and went to Catholic schools from K through college)

Really old rules: Fast everyday throughout Lent (except Sundays) and no meat throughout either. This is why Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) was so important, because they had to use up all the food that wouldn't last the 40 days.

Older Rules (pre-Vatican II): No meat throughout Lent (except on Sundays), fast each Friday during lent and Ash Wednesday and abstain from meat on Fridays during the rest of the year.

Current Rules: Fast only on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent (though the rest of the year is recommended as well). Also recommend sacrificing in some way during Lent such as giving up something you like (coffee in the morning) or doing something for others (volunteering your Saturdays to a cause).

To recap: most Catholics today will eat fish on Fridays (and Ash Wednesday), "give something up" for Lent (more and more often now it's "doing something" for Lent) and fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.


Phew...
I learned stuff in school :p

The green vs. orange is interesting. I wore orange on Friday to work, but only because I don't own a dressy green shirt and I was at the end of my wardrobe.. I hadn't heard about the meaning for that... guess i'll have to be more careful next time! :)

Drolefille does clarify a lot. But it also depends on what part of the country you are from. I'm catholic and to me (well my whole family) no meat means no pork or red meat. We have always had chicken and fish on fridays. Some of my friends do the same and others have absolutely no meat.

And many families have their own traditions as well, some do not "skip" Sundays for example. I think technically a bishop would disagree that chicken is allowed, but that's not the point. It's that it's a sacrifice.

We make little sacrifices in remembrance of the huge one that Jesus made... and it's also usually a betterment of self thing as well. Over Lent people will often promise to exercise more, or give up chocolate/snacks. I think it's a positive thing all around.

:)

I think some people don't understand the "skipping" of Sundays. It is because the Sundays technically are not part of Lent, as each Sunday of the liturgical year is a "little Easter." Despite that, I have always abstained from whatever I gave up for Lent even on Sundays, because otherwise the sacrifice is too minimal. I could give up anything for a week.

Also, I agree that the chicken thing is probably not related to your part of the country, but rather is a misinterpretation of the rule. However, I agree with Drolefile that if your heart is in the right place, it is all good.

I grew up not "skipping" Sundays but have started simply because my boyfriend does and otherwise he's mocking me as he drinks a soda. I've given up pretty much anything bad for me... chocolate, soda, desserts, etc and I've cut WAY back on fast food. It's kind of like the diet recommendations that say don't deprive yourself, give yourself little rewards. This way I don't break down one day and pig out, because I can wait til Sunday, and then I often find I don't want it nearly as bad...

Lent does wonders for my self control. They should move it to New Year's and I might keep my resolutions :)

Wow! I grew up in Boston (wicked Catholic), moved to Pittsburgh (somewhat), moved to Louisville (anti-Catholic!!!!!)...flashforward to the Greater DC area (at least my priest happens to be from New England). Only fish cut it in my parents' house until the advent of cheese based dishes. Chicken was definitely a meat!

Funny that you say Pittsburgh is only somewhat Catholic. My pastor says that so many Catholics live in Pittsburgh, they should build a theme park! And yet a full third of our congregation is made up of former Catholics.

The fish rule never made sense to me. As a Catholic from a family of Catholics, neither I, nor my family ever really cared about the no fish on Fridays thing.

I'm pretty sure that I'll still be able to go to Heaven.

I am a former Catholic who grew up in a very conservative Catholic family. My father always followed pre-Vatican II rules. Every day during Lent (except Sunday), he allowed himself two small meals and one regular-sized meal. One of the three meals could include meat, except on Fridays and Ash Wednesday. Meat was forbidden on Fridays, Lent or not. Fish doesn't count as meat, but my father doesn't like fish. So my mother and I had to follow along, and have pasta every Friday, Lent or not.

My parents are now exempt from fasting, but my father still abstains from meat on Fridays... my parents' diocese issued a dispensation for St. Patrick's Day, but he sticks by the letter of the law nonetheless.

For some reason, it just seemed a lot more Protestant than Boston. However, there was a beautiful cathedral (St. Paul's) down the street from our campus along with a boys' school (Central Catholic?).

I was just thinking about the fish thing, and this is total speculation, not something I learned in church history class, but I'm wondering if the allowance of fish (besides it not being a mammal) on Fridays has to do with the "Feeding of 5,000 with fish" or the "Be Fishers of Men". The bible seems to mention fish quite alot, and I wonder if that's the reason. Like I said - purely spectuation - anyone know anything about this?

Interesting thought, but I would have to disagree rather strongly.

Lol, I can't even think of a single Protestant person I know off the top of my head. Pittsburgh is a huge Catholic town. Also it has a very large Jewish population, though that's more concentrated to the Squirrel Hill area. I seem to remember some factoid that it's the second largest Jewish population/concentration outside of Brooklyn.