# Maundy Thursday, Palm Sunday, et. al. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 16, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239 "2010-02-16T19:42:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/21 "2010-02-16T22:38:38Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > presently the rule, I believe, calls for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday to be kept, with weekdays in Lent **and Fridays** as purely optional observances. Bolding mine. Not correct. Regular Fridays in Lent are days of abstinence (but not fast – meaning no meat but, unlike on Ash Wednesday, no limitation to one small meal and one normal meal, though there is some exhortation not to pig out at any time during Lent [paraphrase]. ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/22 "2010-02-16T22:54:55Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Hey, if you can accept that a tiny wafer is really the body of Jesus Christ, fish becoming a vegetable on Fridays is a snap. LOL ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/23 "2010-02-16T23:28:40Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Something else about Lent that often gets missed: Sundays don’t count. That is, because each Sunday is a commemoration of the Resurrection, Sundays are Feast days even in Lent. If you’ve embraced a Lenten discipline of fasting - from meat, or chocolate, or caffiene or video games or whatever - you’re supposed to enjoy those things on Sundays. If you count the days between Ash Wednesday and Lent, it’s 46 days: 40 days of fasting and 6 Sundays. I have never heard of this in my whole life!!! Ever! ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/24 "2010-02-16T23:41:25Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Something else about Lent that often gets missed: Sundays don’t count. Nor do solemnities. So look forward to Friday 19 March, the solemnity of St Joseph. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/25 "2010-02-16T23:42:01Z")
> [@](#): > > Lent is generally meant to be a time for penitence, self-examination, and making amends. “Giving something [lawful] up” (candy, say) is considered only one of many forms this could take. And to further clarify, giving up something unlawful is not really a valid Lenten devotion, since if it’s unlawful, then you should be “giving it up” year-round, not just for a single season. Depending on interpretation, this can even apply to things like smoking, which despite being legal under the civil government, still do no good, only harm. Though I suppose that if giving up smoking for Lent helps you keep off of it after Easter, then that’s a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/26 "2010-02-16T23:43:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Nor do solemnities. So look forward to Friday 19 March, the solemnity of St Joseph. It’s my understanding that it’s up to the individual dioceses to decide whether to give an exemption for St. Joseph’s Day (and St. Patrick’s Day, in areas with a large Irish population). They often do, but not always. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/27 "2010-02-16T23:50:05Z")
At one time, red meat was considered a luxury, and fish was the food of the poor, hence the injunction to avoid red meat in favor of the humble fish during the Lenten season. Today, of course, fish can be a more expensive and luxurious meal than meat. To be truly consistent, Catholics should avoid both meat and fish on Fridays, and instead eat Kraft mac and cheese. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/28 "2010-02-17T00:08:52Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > At one time, red meat was considered a luxury, and fish was the food of the poor, hence the injunction to avoid red meat in favor of the humble fish during the Lenten season. > > Today, of course, fish can be a more expensive and luxurious meal than meat. To be truly consistent, Catholics should avoid both meat and fish on Fridays, and instead eat Kraft mac and cheese. Or have burritos! Yum! ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/29 "2010-02-17T00:21:00Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It’s my understanding that it’s up to the individual dioceses to decide whether to give an exemption for St. Joseph’s Day (and St. Patrick’s Day, in areas with a large Irish population). They often do, but not always. I thought it was in the Code of Canon law, and hence not something an individual diocese had any power to change. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/30 "2010-02-17T01:43:03Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Or have burritos! > > Yum! All those Catholics eating burritos could exacerbate global warming! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/31 "2010-02-17T02:59:10Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > [QUOTE=Chronos] > It’s my understanding that it’s up to the individual dioceses to decide whether to give an exemption for St. Joseph’s Day (and St. Patrick’s Day, in areas with a large Irish population). They often do, but not always. I thought it was in the Code of Canon law, and hence not something an individual diocese had any power to change. [/QUOTE] From a piping forum I frequent, I’ve heard that the Archbishop of Boston routinely grants an exemption for S. Patrick’s Day. Just one anecdotal data point… ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/32 "2010-02-17T03:15:21Z")
> [@5\_time\_champ](#): > > Not sure why this is in **CS** Shrove Tuesday =\> Pancakes! Simple, really. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/33 "2010-02-17T03:41:49Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > At one time, red meat was considered a luxury, and fish was the food of the poor, hence the injunction to avoid red meat in favor of the humble fish during the Lenten season. > > Today, of course, fish can be a more expensive and luxurious meal than meat. To be truly consistent, Catholics should avoid both meat and fish on Fridays, and instead eat Kraft mac and cheese. I usually go full-vegetarian on Fridays during Lent. I mean, if the in-laws are going to spring for lobster on a Friday, I won’t turn 'em down. But it’s usually pasta or vegetarian Indian food, maybe some hummus. I don’t meat much red meat, some poultry, but mostly I eat fish for protein, so to “make a sacrifice,” I go all-veggie. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/34 "2010-02-17T04:59:22Z")
There’s another one to add: Dyngus Day [Śmigus-dyngus - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dingus_Day) Where I grew up (northern IN), this was often used by local politicians as an opportunity to do the shake and greet before the May primary elections. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/35 "2010-02-17T05:12:25Z")
One final note: “Easter Season” is the 50-day block beginning with Easter Sunday and ending with Pentecost. In churches where this is a big deal, altars are decked in white (often gold-trimmed and with lots of flowers), kneeling is minimized, there is no Old Testament reading, and there is a generally festal air. The subject may not come up, but given the odd collection of fiacts and such being brought forth, I figured it was worth noting. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/36 "2010-02-17T10:08:37Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Hey, if you can accept that a tiny wafer is really the body of Jesus Christ, fish becoming a vegetable on Fridays is a snap. It doesn’t become a vegetable, but it’s not considered “meat.” “Meat” is restricted to “of mammals, reptiles and birds.” ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/37 "2010-02-17T11:22:02Z")
The catholic church considers beavers to be fish so they can be eaten during lent. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/38 "2010-02-17T13:26:03Z")
> [@Anne\_Neville](#): > > Is it a sin to not choose something personal to give up for Lent? Generally, no. But… It depends on what motivates your decision. “Screw you, Jesus. I ain’t giving up nothing,” is fairly described as a sinful approach, because your decision to not observe Lent by giving something up is rooted in animus towards Christ. But a person that simply chooses some other method during the Lenten season to remind himself of Christ’s sacrifice is acting perfectly correctly. For example, we might imagine someone who decides to recite a decade of the Rosary every day of Lent. This is not giving anything up, but it’s an excellent method of focusing one’s attention on the reason for the season, as it were, which is precisely the point of the tradition of giving something up. Just to contrast this with Judaism, there is in Judaism generally considered no extra benefit in extra devotions. That is, it’s a _mitzvah_ to complete the repetition of the _Kedusah_ in morning minyan. It’s not a mitzvah to stand there all morning and repeat it over and over. A mitzvah is G-d’s command; going beyond G-d’s command does not gain any additional ground. But for a group of monks in morning prayer, there is a sense that the more prayer, the more spiritual benefit, the more grace, happens. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/39 "2010-02-17T14:46:05Z")
[Whit Monday](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whit_Monday) ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239/40 "2010-02-17T15:00:28Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > The catholic church considers beavers to be fish so they can be eaten during lent. …but only within marriage and as foreplay to potentially-reproductive intercourse. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maundy-thursday-palm-sunday-et-al/529239.md?page=3)