Easter Sunday was like a second Christmas
IASKED my eight year old what she was giving up for Lent; she didn’ t really understand what I meant. I know previous years I made attempts to get them to give something up, but I felt that maybe they were too young. As she is making her First Holy Communion this year I decided it was time for her to join in.
When I explained to her how it was to mark Jesus spending 40 days and 40 nights in the desert fasting, she wanted to know how he survived.
When I told her it was because he was God’s son, she again wanted to know how he survived. So I found something very important to do in the next room and left.
I started to think about Lent when I was young. My mother was a very devout Catholic and there was no escaping giving up something in our house. I know there were kids who gave up stuff they couldn’t stand to get around it like broccoli or Brussels sprouts.
My mother was not only a strong catholic but a Cavan catholic which was an even more intense brand. She knew what we liked and what we didn’t and the sacrifice had to come from the favourites list.
If we gave up sweets, it encompassed sweets, chocolate and any kind of biscuits that resembled sweets. A bar was a bar and there was no slipping in the odd penguin (or the St Bernard equivalent) or a 54321.
Pancakes on pancake Tuesday were decorated with dessert spoon fuls of sugar, as it would be a long time again before we would get away with such gluttony.
It was time to stock up for the cold sugar-free 40 days ahead. The next time we would get a sniff of Chocolate was Easter Sunday. Some were allowed to take a break for St Patrick’s Day, but such was the guilt trip we would get, it was easier to just keep on going without it.
Easter Sunday was a real treat. It was like a second Christmas in that you could chose the Easter egg you would be getting. My kids will never understand the importance that was placed on that egg, as now they get so many, they are still eating those eggs when they get their summer holidays, although they may not realise what their rice krispie buns are made from.
The first time I didn’t do Lent was during my first pregnancy. I was so sick and there was so little I could eat, that if I was to give up something I’d have starved.
It started me on a downward spiral and I have to admit since then my Lenten sacrifices have been few and far between. But sure every day is a new one and 2018 may be the year to get me back on track. But I’ve a feeling the rest of my house will be giving up broccoli!