I enjoy the different takes on Lent.

Here in the entitled NW burbs they seem to push more prayer and alms-giving while going light on the fasting side.

I am also attending a rural parish in central WI. They are way more old school. Their focus seems to be on fasting. Their pastor says no meat on fridays all year, not just during lent. And in his long list of stuff to give up he included giving up sleeping with a pillow. Which for me is a definite non-starter.

I enjoy the different takes on Lent.

Here in the entitled NW burbs they seem to push more prayer and alms-giving while going light on the fasting side.

I am also attending a rural parish in central WI. They are way more old school. Their focus seems to be on fasting. Their pastor says no meat on fridays all year, not just during lent. And in his long list of stuff to give up he included giving up sleeping with a pillow. Which for me is a definite non-starter.

All Greek Orthodoxers I know do the no meat on Fridays.

No meat on Friday's. Easy there, Gandhi.

Older ones do all year. Younger ones it's more just Lenten Fridays. But during Lent it's all over the map. Two of my aunts fast from meat, dairy, and olive oil all Lent, but other forms of oil are ok. So it's really not hard to fast if you can have a plate of hash browns cooked in canola oil to go along with a bowl of fruit.

When I was younger I fasted for just the last week from meat or fish, all oil except what's in bread, and dairy. Now that I am older and have some health issues requiring some dietary consistency for maintenance, I don't fast any more.

My school from middle school and high school was always fish or some meatless meal on Fridays year round. Had a decent amount of Greek and other eastern orthodox students so maybe this is why. Definitely didn't pass on the oil though or dairy. If it was deep fried or cheese based, was it really cafeteria food?

Nice thing about going to a private school, our lunchroom was more of a deli and there was a grill in the University student center across the street. And a bagel with cream cheese left money for after school crap. Probably back in Ida Noyes hall.