Now that Ash Wednesday has come and gone, we are in the season of the year known to Christians as Lent. Traditionally, Lent is a time for reflection, giving up worldly things in order to concentrate on more spiritual things, and preparing one's self for the celebration of the most important day in the Christian liturgical year.
While there are differences in the celebration and scheduling of Lent between Roman Catholic and Orthodox rites (and those traditions dependent on them), the basic intent is the same. The goal of the observation is to prepare for Holy Week, which begins with
For many, the climax of Holy Week is Good Friday, on which day the Crucifixion is commemorated. While the Crucifixion is important, it is so less of itself than because it enabled the Resurrection, thus demonstrating that death is not the final answer. Holy Saturday, traditionally falling on the Jewish Sabbath, is the commemoration of a time when Jesus lay in the tomb and his disciples had lost hope, the darkest hour before the dawn of Resurrection.
Of course, Easter is the most important day of the Christian liturgical year, as the Resurrection is what set Jesus apart from all the other claimants of Messiahship.
But during the Lenten season there are other events. One of them is the vernal equinox, known to us as the first day of spring and one of two days when day and night are of equal length, usually March 19-21. This day is related to Easter and the Jewish Passover in that both are calculated from its taking place, and there are quite a few other festivals that derive from the spring equinox.
A few days before this on March 17, everyone becomes an honorary Irishman as we celebrate St. Patrick's Day, often with a traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage, although the substitution of corned beef for the traditional Irish bacon apparently came from Irish immigrants in New York following a recommendation of Jewish neighbors.
On March 9, followers of Islam all over the world observe the birthday of Mohammed, the Prophet who, in their eyes, brought the final revelation of God, whom they call "Allah" (from the Arabic "Al-ilah" meaning "the God").
Spring is a season for growth and life, and its celebrations tended to emphasize life, even when preceded by death, as in the Crucifixion. Let us also emphasize life and the peace needed to preserve it.
I hope you will enjoy your stay. There is also a German Site available.
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