Ash Wednesday/Lent/carnival/Mardi Gras

Spotlight:

Mardi Gras

When is Carnival in Rio de Janeiro? It's seven weeks before Easter, with Lent approaching: Carnival time. In Rio de Janeiro, the festival begins tonight and ends on Shrove Tuesday. In Malta, it began yesterday. And in New Orleans, Mardi Gras is this coming Tuesday. The festivals are celebrated with parades, masked balls, dancing and feasting. In New Orleans, celebrants traditionally eat red beans and rice and king cakes. All the festivals end on Shrove Tuesday — the day before Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins, 40 weekdays before Easter. Let the good times roll.

Quote:

"You walk off the plane in Rio, and your blood temperature goes up. The feel of the wind on your face, the water on your skin, the taste of the food, the music, the sexuality." — Amy Irving

carnival：(1)狂歡節；嘉年華（會）：四旬期（守四十天齋期）前的歡樂期，流行於拉丁民族國家；法文稱肥週二（Mardi Gras）。(2)義賣會：教會為某善事而舉辦的義賣會。

Ash Wednesday：聖灰禮儀星期三；聖灰日：四旬（封齋）期的第一天，是日神父在教友額頭上塗以聖灰，並說：「人！你要記著，你原是土，將來仍要歸於土（創三19）。」或說：「你要悔改，信從福音。」此日應守大、小齋表示痛悔己罪。


Lent：四旬期；（舊稱）嚴齋期；封齋期：自聖灰禮儀日起，至復活節前的四十天之齋戒期，為紀念耶穌受難，並準備耶穌復活節，也為望教友作領洗前的準備。