Catholics face dilemma as Valentine’s Day falls on Lent
There may be other options to giving up on sweets
If you’re an observant Catholic with a sweet tooth, you may be facing a dilemma.
Lent — the 40-day holy period of fasting and praying observed by Christians — starts on St. Valentine’s Day this year.
For some Christians, particularly Catholics, the 40 days mean sacrificing something to practice self-discipline in an effort to emulate the 40 days of praying and fasting Jesus did in the desert prior to dying on the cross on Good Friday. And for a lot of people, that sacrifice entails sweet things like sugary treats, chocolate or bubbly cocktails — the very food of Valentine’s Day.
The fact that Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, falls on Valentine’s Day this year makes for an interesting dilemma: What should a person giving up sweets of some kind do if presented with a token of love on Valentine’s Day with sugar?
According to Lina Tavarez, executive director of communications at the Catholic Diocese of Allentown, there’s actually no real dilemma.
“While there may appear to be a contrast between Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day, it also presents an opportunity to embrace authentic love,” Tavarez said, referring to Jesus’ sacrifice.
Tavarez said there are two ways to deal with a sweet tooth on Valentine’s Day if you’ve given up on sugar.
Start by maybe choosing something else to give up instead.
“While giving up chocolate is a common sacrifice for many Christians during Lent, it is not the only option,” Tavarez said.
She suggested considering abstaining from social media, striving to speak well of others instead of speaking ill of them, maybe even actually waking up to your morning alarm instead of smashing the snooze
button repeatedly. In short: “giving up” on something isn’t necessarily just about banning a certain food for 40 days, and in fact might not be as personally powerful.
But let’s say chocolate makes the most personal, spiritual sense for you for Lent. Lucky for you, the day before Valentine’s Day is Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, when having that one food you plan to give up on for the next 40 days is not just OK, but encouraged. Tavarez said Fat Tuesday is a great opportunity for a chocoholic to get their fix in, then let that feeling of chocolate bliss carry them for Lent.
Regardless of what you choose, Tavarez said, the Diocese encourages people to keep one thing in mind: “Ash Wednesday takes precedence over Valentine’s Day.”
Plus, the day after Valentine’s Day is a great time to stock up on all the discounted chocolate you can have in 39 days.