This morning.
Have we lost the true meaning of Lent?
Via Irish Times letters:
When I was a small child, the season of Lent was a time of strict fasting, sacrifice and reflection. While not being subjected to rigorous adherence of the more harsh deprivations associated with Lent, we children were encouraged to decide on the making of at least one sacrifice for the six weeks or so, as much as a means of instilling a habit of discipline as a religious endeavour.
My sister and I generally settled on giving up sweets as our nod to the more straitened Lenten hardships endured by our elders. The eschewing of sweets for six long weeks (excluding the break for St Patrick’s Day) was a trying time for two young girls.
One year, we devised a plan. What if we still bought our usual ration of sweets each week with our pocket money? To our minds, it wouldn’t be cheating. It was merely an efficient way of saving money. After all, the price of sweets might have gone up by the end of Lent.
Whenever we were afflicted by a moment of weakness and the thought of breaking our fast, we stole a peep into the sweet box and were usually sated at the sight of the growing pile, not to mention the aroma.
Our precious stash survived that Lent, and so successful was our endeavour that by Lent the next year, we had sold our idea to other kids on the road – with varying degrees of success!
Anne O’Neill, Dublin 6w
she spent her lent pocket money on a sweets hoard? what a cheat; ours had to go into the trocaire box.
same here, though I was allowed to keep a little bit back for Premier League stickers.
I’d be ruined by the sight and smell of the sweets, picture Sister Assumpta from Father Ted.
Hah, I only ever managed to stay off one thing I gave up.
But did you know that Sundays are not considered part of Lent? I you give up your sweets, and have one each Sunday, you are not in fact breaking your fast.
Of course St Patrick’s Day is also an exception for the Irish, but I am not sure if that is by Papal approval, or simply local non-observance :-)
The insistence of an ideological practice robs the children
The preference by instruction to follow this way of life leads to weak political morals and dark blinds spots in collective minds and hearts.
But fruit salads were yummy.. discuss
we heathens never had to do lent for which I’m grateful, mind you we weren’t allowed sweets or TV anyway….
Munchausen’s by Lent?
work IS the reward, j.
aye
How did you find growing up without TV impacted you? I’m curious and assuming that you found more interesting ways to spend your time and that it was possibly an enriching experience?
Well, we were told you can’t miss what you don’t have followed by it will turn you into brain dead children with no imagination or worse yet …my mother’s greatest fear …Americans lol.
TBH turns out she was right, the effect in my adult years is I never bothered getting a TV to this day and I find it really uncomfortable when you go to homes and it’s constantly on as background noise, it’s so hard to actually talk. If a man has a TV in the bedroom that would be a huge red flag for me !
As a child I guess we did a LOT of reading, I actually enjoyed homework and I reckon not to blow my own trumpet but it helped us achieve academically. We did a lot of baking and our share of housework ( extra if you ever said you were bored lol), knitting, boardgames, lego and the best part running wild across Portmarnock and Malahide, it was much more rural then, further when we got bikes, we had so much independence, we didn’t want to be sat in and were out in all weather. Today I love being outdoors. I probably played with my siblings much more and made up loads of games and secret codes than if there had been other options ! I feel my Mum spent a lot more time with us playing games too than my friends Mums who sat them in front of TV.
My little one has zero screentime and won’t for as long as possible, the boys didn’t until they were three, my friends say I’m making my life difficult but I think it pays off in the long run with an engaged child who loves her books and doesn’t have the attention span of a newt.
Lol, we all turn into our parents !
Hope that answers your question.
disclaimer* no judgement for the telly addicts out there ;)
Certainly does answer my question – sounds like a great childhood, all the better for the lack of a goggler. Fair play to your folks and yes, we all turn into our parents down to the curl of a specific strand of hair and in whole manner of other idiosyncratic ways.
cleans out ear with car key, lifts buttock slightly to fart ..
Hah!
Smiles. Crosses leg with left hand under crossing leg. Nods. Smiles again. Rests chin in right hand. Looks to the distance, still smiling dreamily.
:)
Lying, sneaky little tramp