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Ash Monday celebration

Greeks traditionally celebrate Clean Monday, or Ash Monday, with a “flour war” in which revelers throw colored flour at each other on the streets. Clean Monday marks the beginning of Lent in the Eastern Orthodox Church calendar, and the start of a 40-day fast until Easter.

(PHOTOS: Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters)

See more images from Ash Monday on Yahoo News

#Greece #ash monday #clean monday #eastern orthodox #flour war #Easter #lent

Great Lent starts for us today, received ashes at Noon Divine Liturgy.

I’m not posting again until Easter, but I’ll check messages and Asks for prayer requests and questions. Take care everyone.

#Ash Monday #Eastern Catholic #Maronite Church

Thank you!

#ash monday #svanito #athens by night #nys #original photography

There are a number of traditions held around Greece regarding Ash Monday.

– In Theva, they have the ancient tradition where they shave the groom and adorn the bride, who is in fact a man. – In Mesta and Olympus of Chios island, the “Agas” tradition — the roots trace back to the Turkish rule — features man as a strict “judge,” who condemns the audience with humor and teasing. – In Alexandroupoli, a resident dresses up as a Bey and walks around the city, saying good wishes to everyone. – In Karpathos, a “Popular Court of Immoral Deeds” is reenacted where the audience exchanges improper gestures, and are led in front of the “court” in order to be served by justice. – In Galaxidi, the tradition is flour-smearing; carnavalists dance and throw flour. – In Methony, the marriage of Koutroulis — a real wedding that had occurred in the 14th century — is re-enacted with humor. – In Vonitsa, the tradition of “Achyrenios Gligorakis” is to tie a straw-made fisherman on a donkey, that walks around the village and finally ends up in flames on a boat in the open sea.

#Greece #Traditions #Ash Monday #Kite

Religious Rant

You Muslims got it fkn easy, during Ramadan you're actually told "DO NOT DO THESE COOL THINGS" but during Lent it's more complicated for us Christians, it's more like "OKAY SO YOU GOTTA GIVE UP A COOL THING BUT IT'S GOTTA BE FOR REAL AND NO CHEATING" and like, it's easy to be told not to do cool things but IT'S HARD AS SHIT TO CHOOSE COOL THINGS TO GIVE UP WILLINGLY Like really you have no idea lol

#lent #Christianity #really this is hard lol #ash monday #queued

Illustration by Adrian Tomine for the short story, “Ash Monday” by T. Coraghessan Boyle, from The New Yorker, January 21, 2008.

#Adrian Tomine #The New Yorker #Ash Monday #magazine illustration #T. Coraghessan Boyle

 Christians familiar only with the Christian West may be surprised to learn that Ash Wednesday and its customs exist only in the Western church. The Eastern churches have other ways of counting the days of Lent, and of beginning this Great Fast. Maronite Catholics start Lent on "Ash Monday."

The Roman Catholic Church counts Holy Week as part of the Lenten Fast, but not the Sundays during the Lenten season. Therefore, in about the 8th Century, it was necessary to add four days to the beginning of Lent to bring the number of days up to the traditional 40. This was the origin of Ash Wednesday.

The Eastern Christian Churches (both Catholic and Orthodox) consider Great and Holy Week as a separate unit with its own Fasting and Abstinence requirements, not technically included in the Great Lent. Lent liturgically concludes on the evening of the 6th Friday of Great Lent, the vigil of Lazarus Saturday. The Saturdays & Sundays of the Great Fast are counted in the total of days, thus bringing the number up to 40, counted from Clean (Ash) Monday, the first day of Great Lent.

For the Maronite Catholic Churches, Lent is an important time, a type of retreat when the faithful renew their baptism, by associating with Christ’s struggle. In commencing the Seasons on a Sunday, in the Maronite Church, the purpose is to have a tight calendar with no ‘empty’ days. For the Maronite Catholic Rite, the Season of Lent begins on the Sunday with the focus on the Gospel passage of the Wedding at Cana. It is followed immediately with Ash Monday, which officially begins the Season of Lent and fasting.

In the Maronite Lectionary, the Sunday Gospel passages throughout Lent focus on the healing and forgiving powers of Jesus, a reminder that Lent is a time to transform one’s life, just as the water was changed to wine in the Sunday Gospel that marks the entry into the Lenten Season. It reminds the faithful of the eternal wedding feast they are called to through Christ’s Resurrection.

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday for both Churches. In the Maronite lectionary Great Lent begins with a rigorous fast on Ash Monday while Holy Week provides liturgical experiences of the most sublime poetry, music, art and ritual.

#Ash monday #maronite #maronite church #maronites #catholic #maronite rite #catholic church #lent