My husband claims that his parochial school always had Ash Wednesday off. I think he must be remembering incorrectly, but I went to public school, so I'm not sure. Can anyone remember if they had that day off or not?
My husband claims that his parochial school always had Ash Wednesday off. I think he must be remembering incorrectly, but I went to public school, so I'm not sure. Can anyone remember if they had that day off or not?
I am pretty sure we got ashes AT school, well, at mass before school. I do not think we had the day off.
We did have Good Friday off.
"I won't kill for money, and I won't marry for it. Other than that, I'm open to just about anything."
-Jim Rockford
That's what started the conversation, because I wanted to go to mass today while my kid was at preschool, so I wouldn't have to bring him. But the only mass during that time was the one for the school kids, which I knew would probably be lengthy. And that's when he said, "weird, we always got Ash Wednesday off" and I said, "no, I think they have school, cause that way they can make you go to mass," to which he said, "then why do they give you Good Friday off?" To which I didn't have an answer.
Now I realize what it was, though...there is no mass on Good Friday. So there.
OK, Jimbo agrees, too...I knew I was right.
Oh...and the mass today WAS lengthy, but SO worth it. They had the first graders do the readings, which was the cutest. thing. ever.
Which readings do they do for Ash Wednesday?
IIRC we got our ashes in school. A priest came in especially.
My sisters attended Catholic school in NYC and got their ashes in school.
Whoops, it was 2 Corinthians.
And, yes, the last few years they were the same readings. And Psalm 51 is traditional, as well.
I distinctly remember being shamed by a sloppy cross on my head.
It sucked walking around with a lousy smudge. Some kids got pretty good crosses, mine always looked like schmutz.
"I won't kill for money, and I won't marry for it. Other than that, I'm open to just about anything."
-Jim Rockford
Most of the schools down here were off Monday and Tuesday, and several were off today as well. Public and private. Of course, with Fat Tuesday being a regional cultural thing that's observed by more than just the Catholic population, that might be the reasoning.
So, I'll whisper in the dark, hoping you'll hear me.
What? No. I distinctly remember all the kids in my class hoping to get the priest who just smudged the forehead, as opposed to the one who made a huge cross...
Joe
So, maybe y'all can answer this, since I was raised Methodist, and we don't actually do the ash thing. Is there a rule against washing the ashes off, or something? Because, it's Thursday, and I'm still seeing ash smudges. Maybe, they're better at Catholicism than personal hygiene?
So, I'll whisper in the dark, hoping you'll hear me.
I think super-pious types might avoid washing it off...that's a bit much for me, personally. Don't think there's a rule against it per se, though.
Here's an interesting factoid: I read yesterday that March 10 is the absolute latest day that Ash Wednesday can occur, so if you were feeling like it was kind of late this year, it's about as late as it gets.