- Image by Here’s Kate via Flickr
So today is Pancake Tuesday, something I never knew anything about till I met my wife 5 years ago. Pancake Tuesday or the more familiar name Fat Tuesday is the last day for the next 40+ days that a Catholic can have something they really like. There is a lot more to it than that, but basically every Pancake Tuesday my wife chooses a couple things that she wants to give up till Easter and then zombie Jesus raises and she can have chocolate again on Easter Sunday. For the five years we have been together I do my part and also take part, usually giving up soda or some other type of luxury that I take for granted. It’s my way of showing my wife support through the 1 1/2 months she can’t eat chocolate and whatever else she’s giving up for Lent. This year Mrs. DanGarion mentioned that she is giving up Soda (which we had already reduced our intake a couple a week), fast food, and her normal chocolate. We got into a discussion about what makes up fast food, McDonald’s of course is fast food, but is Togo’s, or any run of the mill sandwich place for that matter. How about Chipotle? There is a fine line about what one would consider fast food and another would consider something else. We came to the agreement that fast food will be considered the Jack in the Boxes, Carl’s Jr., Taco Bells, etc. of the world, along with the typical drive-thru burger joint places like Omega Burger and Johnie’s Jr. Burgers in Orange. Togo’s is allowed, although I haven’t even gone to a Togo’s for well over six months.
Anyway my whole point of this story is to post a list of those things I’m going to be giving up as support for my wife. Here is my list.
Soda (I drink primarily iced tea, both at home and when out nowadays)
Chocolate (not really a big deal to me)
Bacon (This one is sort of like chocolate for her, it sucks I have like 10 pieces in the fridge that will have to be tossed!)
Fast Food (if we want a burger will have to go get it at a sit down restaurant, and I can’t have bacon on it!)
Other items that were on a chopping block were fried foods and red meat, which are both things I don’t have usually more than twice a week, so I’ll just continue to try to keep my intake at a low level. I probably should have cheese on the list, but well it’s cheese, and how am I expected to drop bacon and cheese?!?! We will also only be eating Fish on Fridays in place of other meats. In case you haven’t noticed lent is the reason so many establishments have special fish meals on Fridays (Filet-o-Fish Fridays, etc.)
I’m not trying to get religious on here, but I find the act of giving up something you like as support for your significant other when their faith has them give something up as a win win. Maybe that’s just because I don’t see anything wrong with providing this type of support.
So my question to others out there, what will you be giving up for lent?
