Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, which was the beginning of Lent — a time period of 40 days during which many Christian cultures give up something until Easter comes.
In Britain, bishops are encouraging folks to do something different to observe the season: go on a carbon fast.
For years, Recycla saw Lent as a time to give up something, such as chocolate or chocolate or possibly even chocolate.
[Side note: The one year Recycla successfully gave up chocolate for Lent was her last year of college. On Easter morning, her then-boyfriend/now-husband gave her an engagement ring AND a chocolate bar. Obviously, successfully giving up chocolate for Lent has some sort of magical properties, as Recycla had been not-so-subtly hinting for that ring for months.]
Whether you normally recognize Lent or not, this is an excellent opportunity to try something new, such as giving up meat on Mondays or giving up driving one day a week.
Other ideas:
- Give up paper napkins in favor of cloth ones.
- Give up paper towels.
- Eat dinner by candlelight, not electric lights.
- Give up bottled water and carry a reusable one filled with tap water instead.
- Take cloth shopping bags with you every time you go shopping.
These are but just a few suggestions. The possibilities are endless.
Tell the Eco Women: Are you giving up anything for Lent?
I talked Mr. D into giving up fast food. I? I am not Catholic and not obligated to fast during Lent, but in the spirit of things, I’m giving up meat twice a week instead of only once.
I usually give up desserts, which encompasses anything with sugar in it except my coffee, and I am also going off facebook.
We already use cloth napkins, rags instead of paper towels (except for the windows because paper works better than cloth for glass), and cloth bags (some 20 years old) for the grocery store because I am thrifty, not because I am political that way. (I am actually a conservative! Oh no!) I have never seen the point in paying for bottled water when I can refill a bottle out of the tap. No meat on Fridays already b/c I am Catholic.
The no desserts/no FB is going to be suffering enough. Three days into it and I’ve already decided that doughnuts do not count because you know, they are a breakfast food. How pathetic is that?