"Get out of Lent free" cards...sorta...

[Charlie in Dayton]

Corned beef has long been associated with the Irish here in The Colonies, and seeing as it's traditional to clog the arteries with it on St Patrick's Day, and said day occurs on a Friday in Lent this year, TPTB has issued dispensations on eating meat on Friday in certain dioceses (http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?idq=/ff/story/0001/20060315/0842837638.htm).

...'course, the consumption of a double McWhopper on Fridays hasn't bothered me spiritually for years... :wink:

[ruach1]

Corned beef has long been associated with the Irish here in The Colonies, and seeing as it's traditional to clog the arteries with it on St Patrick's Day, and said day occurs on a Friday in Lent this year, TPTB has issued dispensations on eating meat on Friday in certain dioceses (http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?idq=/ff/story/0001/20060315/0842837638.htm).

...'course, the consumption of a double McWhopper on Fridays hasn't bothered me spiritually for years... :wink:
Another "Get out of Lent free card" is Lobster. Ever notice how Red Lobster conveniently starts their "lobsterfest"---say around the time Lent begins?

[zakur]

One word. Capybara (http://www.rebsig.com/capybara/capymeat.html).

[Mephisto]

One word. Capybara (http://www.rebsig.com/capybara/capymeat.html).

I especially like this part:

"Many Venezuelans are grateful the Roman Catholic Church gave the animal the status of fish allowing its consumption during Lent. But more than a few think the classification is laughable.
"It doesn't even look like a fish. A capybara has hair and four legs," says biologist Emilio Herrera, although he acknowledges the creature does swim."

I guess the rules on eating meat on Fridays during Lent is a bendable one. Maybe genetic engineers can come up with a "hairy fish," or maybe a cow with gills? :)

[elliotfc]

Corned beef has long been associated with the Irish here in The Colonies, and seeing as it's traditional to clog the arteries with it on St Patrick's Day, and said day occurs on a Friday in Lent this year, TPTB has issued dispensations on eating meat on Friday in certain dioceses (http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?idq=/ff/story/0001/20060315/0842837638.htm).

...'course, the consumption of a double McWhopper on Fridays hasn't bothered me spiritually for years... :wink:


In Rockville Center, the bishop had directed those who chose to indulge in corned beef hash to abstain from meat on Wednesday. That would have been yesterday.

I hate corned beef hash.

-Elliot

[Mephisto]

...'course, the consumption of a double McWhopper on Fridays hasn't bothered me spiritually for years... :wink:

Sorry I didn't see your thread before I posed my McJesus Burger thread. It seems we're onto the same thing. :)

I wonder if the fast-food joints will pick up on the Lenten meal and start offering "The Holy Meal?" The included toy could be a glow-in-the-dark crucifix or a golden chalice (body of Christ not included). I guess it could consist of a McMoses Burger, a Virgin Mary malted and an order of Freedom Fries. :)

[elliotfc]

Another "Get out of Lent free card" is Lobster. Ever notice how Red Lobster conveniently starts their "lobsterfest"---say around the time Lent begins?

Taco Bell is advertising (on TV too? I don't watch a lot of TV) on their drive-up windows LENT menus. Of course most Latinos are catholic. Then again, I don't know what the racial breakdown is of Taco Bell customers.

-Elliot

[phildonnia]

Another "Get out of Lent free card" is Lobster. Ever notice how Red Lobster conveniently starts their "lobsterfest"---say around the time Lent begins?

Yeah, being forced to eat lobster really pinches the flesh.
Well, for the lobster anyway.

[jj]

I especially like this part:

"Many Venezuelans are grateful the Roman Catholic Church gave the animal the status of fish allowing its consumption during Lent. But more than a few think the classification is laughable.
"It doesn't even look like a fish. A capybara has hair and four legs," says biologist Emilio Herrera, although he acknowledges the creature does swim."


Especially since what it is is a giant rat, basically. :)

[elliotfc]

Especially since what it is is a giant rat, basically. :)

For those who are keeping score...interesting stuff here...

http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD/fasts-msg.text

-Elliot

[Meadmaker]

In the middle ages, the Irish bishops declared that since geese spent a lot of time in the water, they were actually fish, and could be eaten during Lent.

There was also some theory that the "barnacle goose" was the adult form of a particular barnacle which had the same coloration. I don't recall the details. The google research is left to the interested reader.

[zakur]

There are several apocryphal stories of medieval monks finding creative ways around the Lenten requirement to fast.

One involved several throwing a pig in the river upstream of the abbey, to be found and pulled from the water by their brethren. Since it came from the water, it was OK to eat.

Then there is the famous Lenten beer (http://www.frommers.com/destinations/germany/0224020880.html):Over the centuries, monks brewed a strong beer for consumption during the fasting period of Lent, during which they were technically supposed to drink only water. The story goes that the pope heard about this custom and ordered that the beer be transported to Rome for him to sample. When the pope finally tasted the beer (which didn't have preservatives back then) after its long journey, he couldn't imagine why anyone would want to drink it and decreed that the beer was strong enough punishment for the Bavarian monks to drink it during Lent. Today, all Munich breweries brew this strong beer during Lent. The beer always ends with an "ator" in its name; Salvator and Triumphator are the best-known brands. "Ator" in German means a strong beer. By long-standing tradition, the names of German Doppelbock beers (strong beers) end with an "ator" suffix.