Eight Things To Give Up For Lent
Posted by: Amelia McDonell-Parry
Filed in:
news
5:00PM, Wednesday February 25th 2009
Yesterday was Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday.” That means today is Ash Wednesday, or the first day of Lent. Since I’m not Catholic this all is a bunch of mumbo jumbo to me, but I did attend Mardi Gras three straight years in a row, and while I don’t get my forehead swiped by a priest on Ash Wednesday, I do try and give up something “bad” for Lent, which lasts for 40 days and 40 nights, until Easter. But forget about giving up lame stuff like carbs and sugar and sex—after the jump, 10 bad things you really should consider ditching for Lent. Or permanently.
1. Drunk Facebooking: Do not post ridiculous messages on your crush’s wall, do not send cryptically nasty messages to your ex, and do not post status messages like, “Uhhh, so drunk and horny.”
2. Whining About Your Job: Seriously, you’re lucky to have one.
3. Excessively Trashy TV: Sure, finish off this season of “The Bachelor.” But do you really need to waste your Wednesday night on “The Real World: Brooklyn”?
4. Pedicures: Look, it’s cold out. No one sees your toes. Spending $15 a week on a pedicure no one sees or cares about is silly. Save the moolah for sandal weather.
5. That Third Diet Coke: This one is kind of for me. I should probably give up all DC, but The Frisky would not be what it is without my DC addiction, but the third can at 4pm is excessive.
6. That 4th Glass Of Red Wine: See above.
7. Unsafe Sex: You should give this one up permanently. Consider Lent yet another reason to start using condoms.
8. Your Weird Nervous Habit: Mine is feet picking. Some people bite their nails. Others grind their teeth. Cut. It. Out.
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jerseygrl
wrote on February 25 2009 @ 05:22 pm: [report]
#9—smoking.
sailor_girl
wrote on February 25 2009 @ 05:37 pm: [report]
I share the diet coke addiction. I refuse to even bring it into my house any more. I’m actually giving up Starbucks..I’m not saying its going to be easy..
CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on February 25 2009 @ 05:59 pm: [report]
Coke Zero is better than Diet Coke IMO. I feel like a connoisseur sometimes. Can’t wait till Coke puts real sugar back in the drink, delicious!
Lent is silly, give something up only to do it again soon.
Reve
wrote on February 25 2009 @ 06:01 pm: [report]
Love The Frisky - and Amelia - but “a bunch of Catholic mumbo jumbo” sounds a bit harsh and judgmental. Never saw The Frisky as one to put people down, regardless of their beliefs - hope it doesn’t start now.
TOO_DOPE
wrote on February 25 2009 @ 06:21 pm: [report]
“Feet Picking?” Amelia,please elaborate.
Amelia
wrote on February 25 2009 @ 06:44 pm: [report]
Click here to read all about my horrible, shameful, disgusting habit. Do I keep NOTHING private on this site? Sigh.
Amelia
wrote on February 25 2009 @ 06:46 pm: [report]
@Reve Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it in an offensive way! I just mean I’m not Catholic so the religious reasons behind Lent are something I don’t know or understand, so it sounds like mumbo jumbo to me. I really didn’t mean mumbo jumbo in the negative sense. I meant it more like *I* am the idiot that doesn’t understand it. I changed the language just a touch so that is a little clearer.
charliecat
wrote on February 25 2009 @ 08:33 pm: [report]
This post is funny & oh so true! But I’m here to clear up some mumbo jumbo for you, as an Irish-Italian Catholic (can you get more Catholic??) =)
We give up something to symbolize Jesus fighting the temptations of the Devil for 40 days & 40 nights in the desert. But the idea isn’t just to give up something silly, its to sacrifice. Maybe by not even giving up anything tangible, but by giving of yourself. Spend time volunteering, give to charities with the money you save from giving up your vice, be kind to the people & world around you. It’s just our time to reflect on sacrifice.
Many religions have the same themes throughout, we just express it in different ways.
CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on February 25 2009 @ 08:45 pm: [report]
People give up chocolate though…wtf is that. Temptations from the Devil (Anything for your soul sounds kinda good) sounds difficult, pfft chocolate.
LegalLady
wrote on February 25 2009 @ 11:22 pm: [report]
Great explanation Charliecat! I’m converting to Catholicism and will be baptized this Easter (I’m excited!) so it was nice to see a little clarification on the meaning behind it for some who may not have heard about it.
amanda lynn
wrote on February 26 2009 @ 08:44 am: [report]
oddly enough i’m giving up sugared pop and moving towards only the DC and the Diet Pepsi. i’ll drink whatever you ladies aren’t, k?
was at mass yesterday morning and the priest (that SO sounded like jeff bridges, i was expecting him to talk about his rug & swig a white russian…) said that a few years ago he wrote down the phrase “remember you are dust and to dust you shall return”. (that’s what is said when the ashes are put on our foreheads.) i’m going to give that a try; the key is remembering to do that, i’m sure; but hopefully the impact of that one little phrase will be something that will make me think about lent every day. and not just whine about not having my regular 20oz of coke.
amanda lynn
wrote on February 26 2009 @ 08:46 am: [report]
*edit* - physically write it down every day until easter. doh.
Reve
wrote on February 26 2009 @ 05:25 pm: [report]
@Amelia - Thanks for the consideration and the change, it is much appreciated. Please keep the great posts coming!