Ashes

With Fat Tuesday comes Ash Wednesday. For me this means a time for cutting back so that’s exactly what I plan on doing. Usually, I give up sweets for lent - probably because they are my favorite and I way too much of them. However, the thought forgoing sweets for a quarter of the time I am in Italy rubbed me the wrong way. I don’t want to limit my foreign experiences! So I have decided cut back on sweets instead of give them up all together and save them for “cultural experiences”. What will become a “cultural experience” by Easter, I do not know. Lately with all the wonderful Italian food, I have not been feeling at my best I am in need of some cutting back. Hopefully I can achieve this while still experiencing Italian culture at its finest!

Interesting fact: As many know, when people attend church on Ash Wednesday they receive ashes on their forehead. In the States, this is usually a small cross placed on the forehead by the priest. However, in Italy they do things a little differently. The priest actually sprinkles ashes on the parishioners’ heads!