We just celebrated Mardi Gras, which most people likely primarily associate with New Orleans, parades, beads, and…other things. Mardi Gras is actually a specific day – the Tuesday prior to
Carnival, the merrymaking and festivity that takes place in many Roman Catholic countries in the last days and hours before the Lenten season. The derivation of the word is uncertain, though it possibly can be traced to the medieval Latin carnem levare or carnelevarium, which means to take away or remove meat. This coincides with the fact that Carnival is the final festivity before the commencement of the austere 40 days of Lent, during which Roman Catholics in earlier times fasted, abstained from eating meat, and followed other ascetic practices. The historical origin of Carnival is also obscure. It possibly
Orthodox parishioner
- I, Anastasia Nekrashevich, an Orthodox Christian, appeal to the Belarusian authorities and the whole world.
There is a great misfortune in my home country. It is impossible to hear more about cut veins, hunger strikes, torture, bullying, murder, persecution, violence, repression. My grandparents went through the Stalinist camps and it seemed that it was forever in the past. I can t look at how our country turns into a prison and human cruelty again takes on sophisticated forms and is presented as a norm of life. This has even become the norm for some monks, priests, and laity who call themselves Orthodox Christians.