This past week was Mardi Gras. I have already talked about fat Tuesday and how it's also known as Pancake Tuesday, now it's time to talk about Ash Wednesday and how it came about. It's mainly known to be a Catholic holiday and the start of Lent. Easter can always be tracked from it because it's 46 days after. Believe it or not, it has a non- Christian origin ( Bibleinfo.com ) The time period spent fasting came about because it was Constatine's goal to bring together pagans and Christians within the Roman kingdom. It was 40 days, but Pope Gregory moved Lent from the forth Sunday of the year to Ash Wednesday with six Sundays counting as feast days.

Ash Wednesday is not mentioned in the Bible. I believe that the traditions of ashes on the forehead came about because in biblical times, people that sinned sprinkled themselves with ashes. They did this to mark themselves as sinners and for repetence.

I have always wondered why and how Ash Wednesday came about, I just assumed that it was for everyone to rid themselves of guilt for all the crazy stuff they did during Mardi Gras. I am used to celebrating it for a week, not just a day.

As much as I love football- I am always happy about the Superbowl because it means that my favorite time of the year is right upon us. Baseball season!! Spring training starts on the 11th, and I am a huge Cardinals fan. I can't wait to see the new coaching staff- Willie McGee coming back made my day, and some of the new players have me excited to see how well they can do this season. I am really hoping for them to go to World Series this year and will keep my hopes up til the last second.

With the kickoff for Mardi Gras happening, I thought it would be interesting to see if there was anything new I could learn about it by simply googling Mardi Gras. Didn't think that was possible because I am a Louisiana native but I was wrong. Fat Tuesday is also known as Pancake Tuesday. I had no idea.

This day is also known as Shrove Tuesday, a day when pancakes are typically eaten, and it's the day before Ash Wednesday. It's the last day of eating whatever you want before Lent begins. This custom is observed by many different Christian denominations on several countries. The reason for pancakes being eaten might have come from the foods that are typically not eaten during Lent, such as butter, eggs and fat. Mardi Gras is also Fat Tuesday, when people typically gorge themselves. So it makes perfect sense to gorge yourself on pancakes before you give up something wonderful for 30 days.

With this newfound discovery, I think I will start celebrating pancake Tuesday at Uncle Bill's. They do have some awesome pancakes and will give me an excuse to have breakfast for dinner.