Post Punk Kitchen Forum

Or not, as you prefer. Lent is my vegan-versary (8 years? 9 years? who knows any more, at this advanced age.), so time to celebrate and/or deprive myself, as the case may be. I am not an observant anything, but really love co-opting other people's religious traditions, and so here I am.

Moon has mentioned giving up internet for Lent. I think I am going to add things this year instead of taking anything away- I'm thinking maybe green smoothies for breakfast, and more time reading for fun than wasting time online.

Anyone else have any exciting plans for lent? it ain't too late to change my plans, so i'm curious.

I what??? This sounds highly unlikely! Though I commented on someone else's lent giveuppage.

But me giving up the Internet sounds as likely as me giving up drinking. Or lovely doggy kisses.

I would love to join you on taking something good on for lent, though! Green smoothies would be amazing is greens weren't stupidly expensive right now.

Oh, I know! I'll give up doing laundry for lent. Perfect :)

Happy veganiversary!

Several years ago, a somewhat snarky friend of mine gave up being mean for lent. It was kind of transformative for her, and so every time anyone mentions lent, that's what I think of.

Oh yes, happy veganversary!

The one and only time I gave something up for lent was pre-vegan, and when I had a pretty crappy diet. I gave up iced tea and ramen for Lent. And it was hard! I was 16...

my dad's family is catholic, and i was raised catholic (well, until junior high), and i dreaded lent as a kid. it went on forever. but i can't remember anything that i ever gave up. i probably never stuck with it, for all my whinging. my grandmother gave up chocolate every year, and on easter she'd be so excited to have her chocolates back. she'd buy a box a week before, and she'd start eating candy the second she woke up easter morning. it was kind of adorable. when she died, my dad started giving up chocolate for lent, even though he hadn't been observant for a while. i can imagine being sentimental enough to pick up that torch someday.

I like torque's idea of adding good habits instead of giving things up. I've just started doing green smoothies daily, so I'll do that.

A friend of mine mentioned ze was giving up Facebook for Lent, so I went to Google it to find out how long Lent was and it kept autocompleting "lent" and giving me "lentil soup".

I would give up just about anything for good lentil soup!

My mom is Catholic-ish (what Tofulish said in the thread about the pope reminded me of her, she's Catholic to the bone, but disagrees with the politics of it so she doesn't go to the Catholic Church anymore), I haven't asked her yet what she's giving up this year but usually she gives up chocolate, but one year she gave up shaving her legs. I was mortified and embarrassed when I was a teen, but now I think that's pretty awesome XD

My family is Orthodox Christian and a big part of our lent is to give up meat, eggs, and dairy. Usually I like to brag about how great I am at fasting but I just learned without prayer it's the fast of the demons!



Doh!

i'm giving up smiling

I like that idea.

This is a bit tangential, but every time someone mentions lent I think about the girl who lived across the street from me when I was a kid. Her family was super-Catholic, mine was lackadaisically Jewish, and both of us were kind of socially unaware and didn't have any concept of religion outside our own. We were still friends though, because we were both little girls of about the same age, but sometimes we'd have awesome conversations like this:

Her: I'm wearing this dress for my first communion! What did you wear for yours?
Me: My what?
Her: Your first communion!
Me: I don't know what that is.
Her: YOU'RE GOING TO HELL!

- or -

Me: I really want to quit Hebrew school. Does your mom still make you go?
Her: ... .... ... no?
Me: Lucky!

- or -

Her: What are you giving up for lent? I'm giving up peanut butter!
Me: I don't know what that is.
Her: YOU'RE GOING TO HELL!

this reminds me of my little sisters friend (they were 5 at the time) - she belonged to a really strict christian church. the girls had to wear long skirts and couldnt cut their hair, leave alone wear earrings. So one day she told my mom she would go to hell for wearing those. and having short hair. AND wearing jeans!! Kinda sad, but she made it out of there and does all those things now herself. Hah!

It's dropscone! Think of the things she'll accomplish! Though if it was me, I'd probably nap and read a bunch of books.

I don't think I've ever done anything for Lent, but I've recently decided I should eat less chips, so maybe I should try that. (So far I'm failing miserably)

i beg your pardon, the both of yous!!! i wish i could justify my confusion, but i can't. although, i was drinking homemade umeshu last night in a desperate attempt to unwind and perhaps it addled my brain.

I was parked on the side of the street making a phone call yesterday (cuz i am the one person in the world who will not drive and talk on the phone, apparently) right in front of a church. people were leaving with the ashes on their head. i saw several women wipe off the ashes as they were walking down the hill. I remember as a child my own YOU GO TO HELL IF.... days, and Touching the Ashes was right up there with Chewing The Wafer, Reading Bad Books and whatever else they told me. I asked a colleague after about that and she said apparently Brazilian catholicism consists of ignoring whatever the priest says.

Both worthy accomplishments.

Lent is actually a vegan pet peeve of mine. i hope i dont inadvertantly stomp on someone's beliefs because it literally is only related to the people i work with and not with Lent itself.
every month we have something called "birthday lunch" at work and whomever's birthday it is in the home office or our nearby service office pick some sort of takeout/catering and we get lunch delviered and someone buys a cake.

it's an introvert vegan's worst nightmare.

most months i decline going because Texas BBQ seems to be a popular choice. and there is nothing vegan you can order from there unless you think wilted iceberg lettuce and shredded carrots wtih no salad dressing is lunch (and most of the people i work with seem to think that is what i eat). and im always ALWAYS given shiitake for not going and all i want in the world is to be left alone. some months if there is something vegan or can be made vegan on the menu the receptionist will order it for me and ill go and sit and eat that and barely talk to anyone cause that's how i am.

anyhoo is Lent early this year cause i feel like usually this is an April problem?
every April 2-3 people in the office who are otherwise rampant carnivores FREAK THE fork OUT because it's Lent and usually bday lunch is on a friday and all i hear people freaking out about is "IS THERE GONNA BE SOMETHING WITH NO MEAT IN IT AT BDAY LUNCH IT'S LENT!!!!!!"

like it's insanity.
first off to request a meat free dish cause it's Lent really doesnt need to turn to controversy. the receptionist is more than happy to do it, it's not a big deal but it turns into mega drama. we have me the vegan, another vegetarian in the office and a fake vegetarian so there are other people to eat the meat free dishes. let's all calm down

secondly, like welcome to my life.

ugh. i hate Lent for this reason.

otherwise i was baptised Catholic but do not consider myself Catholic so i dont observe anythign to do with Lent.

mildly funny story concerning people getting ashes on their forehead on Ash Wednesday.
my family is Catholic, i was baptised but we were not really raised religiously at all so i had NO IDEA that it was a thing for people to go to church and get ashes on their forehead on Ash Wednesday.

i ended up going to a catholic college and my freshman year i rolled out of bed on Ash Wednesday and meandered over to the dining hall (prolly in my pj's) and was greeted by a scene of like 97% of the population dressed up for church with black blobs on their foreheads. since i am not religious i had no idea it was even Ash Wednesday and i felt like i had stepped into some bizarre post-apolocalyptic world and i was just like WHAT THE fork HAPPENED?!?!?
luckily my roomate was up on these things and was able to fill me in before i had a complete panic attack.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/1 ... 66501.html

ROFL

When I was like 9, i was friends with a girl in my neighborhood who was jehova's witness. One day I told her that my mom said it was child abuse to not let a kid celebrate their birthday. I never got to play with her again.

I love your idea and this thread title.