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It’s Valentine’s Day and whilst most of us are preparing for a special meal and spreading petals around the place, I’m also getting ready for another annual event…
It’s earlier this year, and so here we go again… another year… another of my 'Lent Challenges'!
For 2018, it's now 48 items that I'm trying to avoid (from Wednesday, February 14th until Thursday, March 29th). However, before I get stuck in, some of you have commented (who know a lot more about the Lent tradition than me) that the dates I’m working with ‘aren’t the complete Lent period, as Lent finishes on Holy Saturday’.
After some extensive research (err, a bit of googling!) those results suggest there does seem to be a few variations on when the period ends! However, after much consideration, I’m still sticking with the slightly-easier-for-me-and-those-closest-to-me and finishing the day before Good Friday! That same research also confirms that, I can ‘take the Sundays off during Lent’ - but where's the fun in that!? So I’m not!
I think therefore that balances things up nicely!
Why do all this? Well, as many of you know by now, I love my food - probably too much - and I try and grow my list each year to make the fasting process a bit more challenging next time round.
When I started all this back in 2010, it was just a few of my faves - 13 items - now I'm up to 48! I guess it’s more an annual test of my will-power and a way of losing a few pounds, rather than any religious conviction (although I always think a period of denial is good for the soul). Whatever my motivation, my smug-ometer is going to be cranking up to 11!
Thanks in advance then, to all my friends and family, who are going to be kind enough to re-work menus for me during this period! Wish them (and me) luck. By Maundy Thursday, a slightly slimmer - and smugger - me will emerge!
See you on the other side!
Previous Lent Events
2010 (13 items)
2011 (16 items)
2012 (19 items)
2013 (23 items)
2014 (26 items)
2015 (36 items)
2016 (42 items)
2017 (46 items)
