“What are you giving up for Lent?” For years growing up and as a younger adult, I heard this question bandied about every year. While living in Indiana near Notre Dame, the heavily Catholic community introduced me to Fat Tuesday and the various Polish pastries associated with the day. For years, I’ve known that Lent was the 40 days before Easter and it was somehow associated with Jesus fasting in the desert. I’ve heard quite a few nonsensical stories, like the argument that Lenten fasting began as a way the church encouraged medieval peasants to save food in the lean months. Recently, I began...
