We’re into Lent (a Teutonic word meaning simply “Springtime”), but it certainly doesn’t seem to have made any difference to our customers in the Dingle shop, where we had a huge day today, serving out lots of chocolate, coffee, ice cream, etc.
Of course, I don’t have any problem with that, since fasting traditionally meant giving up meat, and we have none on offer. I wrote about sweets and Lent last year (here), and I don’t think I’ll add more except to say that there cannot be any doubt in my mind about hot chocolate being perfectly ok during any fast, since the Vatican made a pronouncement in 1662, allowing it (more here).
What I will do is add my second annual list of things to give up for Lent:
- Crab Cappuccinos (or any such appetisers or in between courses)
- Any “Super-sized” food item
- Drinking at home in a rural area (Irish country pubs need the business, and we might as well keep our taxi drivers happy too)
- Being in such a hurry
- Fake chai (chai is not a syrup!)
- Eating in the car (excluding snacks)
- Non-ripe supermarket fruit, especially those white, tasteless strawberries
- Any cake that goes by the name of “Gateau,” unless you happen to be in France
- Tipping for terrible service
- Diet minerals or anything labeled “low fat” that has high calories and dubious sugar substitutes
Can’t imagine anyone in the vicinity of a Murphy’s shop willingly giving up ice-cream, chocolate or anything you might have on offer! Having said that I am a baker in Limk. and no-one seems to have given up muffins either!
I work in a cafe/bakery and although our next door neighbor gave up brownies for Lent, she is still giving them to her coworkers as gifts. At least, that’s what she tells me when she comes in and gets them these days…
Who am I to judge?:)