Monday, March 2, 2009

Lent Fast Food?

It's getting to be that season, where little girls where frilly dressers, little boys where bow ties and vests, purple and orage egg salad is found at lunch time and rabbits especially cute. Easter is coming.

I'm always reminded of this by the seafood commericals on TV, suddenly everyone from Wendy's (a burger joint) to Popeye's (a chicken joint) is pushing a seafood dish. It must be Lent season.

Last night, though, I got to thinking about this....Lent - "The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer—through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial—for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus." It is most common to give up red meat during lent, especially on Fridays, this satisfies the "self denial" part.

So around this time of year we see commercials for the juicy, delectible seafood options in fast food restaurants.

Isn't this a bit self defeating? I will deny myself the pleasure of red meat but then as a substitute I will eat this deep fried, yummy peice of fish? The fast food joints are making a killing off of successfully enticing devout, lent practicing Christians into enjoying a meal when they're supposed to be in self-denial.

I know, a bit extreme, but I still found it ironic. If I ate fast food I'd be in heaven, this is prime pescatarian (vegetarian + seafood) season in that market!

PS - while I do not participate in any of these religious traditions, I respect those who do, so please don't take this offensively, it's the fast food industry I hold at fault, not the un-suspecting lenter.

4 comments:

KJ said...

Thanks for the comment!
I was reading a bit of your blog, just thought I would say hi. In about a year I'll be moving to Cincinnati area, but your not from there..anyway Just saw that your hubby flies out of there...Anyway!
Keep posting!

KJ

packphour said...

Speaking of Lent, Crystal had a pretty good post about it. Her daughter showed her up so she was forced into giving up coffee :)

http://crystalkernan.blogspot.com/2009/03/problem-with-lent-when-you-are-addicted.html

Misty said...

I took a pic of the Boston Market menu that I was going to upload on Sat.; they had a HUGE ad advertising their fish dinner; then as we exited the parking lot, there was a giant Burger King ad advertising their fish sandwich!

Anonymous said...

The toughest thing about lent (and I'm a new Catholic - very much excited to have entered into the faith, and I take it quite seriously), is that there are no lent friendly left-overs. I'm frugal, so I always bring leftovers into work, but other than a PBJ sandwich, I really can't find many fish menu items that translate well into the next day's meal. Sounds like a silly complaint, but I actually cringe having to pay retail prices for unhealthy and altogether debaucherous fish meals on Fridays. If I were someone who was ok with rationalizing things, I'd tell myself that I'm "denying my frugality in this Lenten season." That's hogwash, of course, but I do observe the custom, and with as heartily as I would normally eat, it's still a change in behavior to adhere to the Church doctrine.