123-436: Mardi Gras ( UK : / ˌ m ɑːr d i ˈ ɡ r ɑː / , US : / ˈ m ɑːr d i ɡ r ɑː / ; also known as Shrove Tuesday ) is the final day of Carnival (also known as Shrovetide or Fastelavn ); it thus falls on the day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday . Mardi Gras is French for " Fat Tuesday ", reflecting the practice of the last night of consuming rich, fatty foods in preparation for
246-476: A Lenten sacrifice , in which Christians give up a personal pleasure for the duration of 40 days, is a traditional practice during Lent. During Shrovetide and especially on Shrove Tuesday , the day before the start of the Lenten season, many Christians finalize their decision with respect to what Lenten sacrifices they will make for Lent. Examples include practicing vegetarianism and teetotalism during Lent as
369-565: A West Germanic language that originated from the Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Britain by Germanic settlers from various parts of what is now northwest Germany and the northern Netherlands. The resident population at this time was generally speaking Common Brittonic —the insular variety of Continental Celtic , which was influenced by the Roman occupation. This group of languages ( Welsh , Cornish , Cumbric ) cohabited alongside English into
492-459: A Lenten sacrifice. While making a Lenten sacrifice, it is customary to pray for strength to keep it; many often wish others for doing so as well, e.g. "May God bless your Lenten sacrifice." In addition, some believers add a regular spiritual discipline, to bring them closer to God, such as reading a Lenten daily devotional . For Catholics, Lutherans, Moravians, Anglicans, United Protestants, and Lent-observing Methodists and Reformed Christians,
615-571: A Lenten spiritual discipline, such as reading a daily devotional or praying through a Lenten calendar , to draw themselves near to God . Often observed are the Stations of the Cross , a devotional commemoration of Christ's carrying the Cross and crucifixion . Many churches remove flowers from their altars and veil crucifixes , religious statues that show the triumphant Christ, and other elaborate religious symbols in violet fabrics in solemn observance of
738-730: A basket in the narthex to collect the previous year's Holy Week palm branches that were blessed and distributed during the Palm Sunday liturgies; on Shrove Tuesday, churches burn these palms to make the ashes used during the services held on the very next day, Ash Wednesday. In historically Lutheran nations, Shrovetide is known as Fastelavn . After attending the Mass on Shrove Sunday , congregants enjoy Shrovetide buns (fastelavnsboller), "round sweet buns that are covered with icing and filled with cream and/or jam." Children often dress up and collect money from people while singing. They also practice
861-549: A century as Received Pronunciation (RP). However, due to language evolution and changing social trends, some linguists argue that RP is losing prestige or has been replaced by another accent, one that the linguist Geoff Lindsey for instance calls Standard Southern British English. Others suggest that more regionally-oriented standard accents are emerging in England. Even in Scotland and Northern Ireland, RP exerts little influence in
984-484: A concert event at Caesars Superdome ), Bacchus (Sunday), and Zulu and Rex (Tuesday). Other cities along the Gulf Coast with early French colonial heritage, from Pensacola, Florida ; Galveston, Texas ; to Lake Charles and Lafayette, Louisiana ; and north to Natchez, Mississippi and Alexandria, Louisiana , have active Mardi Gras celebrations. Galveston's first recorded Mardi Gras celebration, in 1867, included
1107-584: A descendant of Arabic, the term Randan is used, which is distinctive when compared to the dialects of Arabic. Despite the centuries of Catholic influences, the term remains unchanged since the Arab occupation of Malta . The pattern of fasting and praying for 40 days is seen in the Christian Bible , on which basis the liturgical season of Lent was established. In the Old Testament , the prophet Moses went into
1230-589: A grand gala. In the rural Acadiana area, many Cajuns celebrate with the Courir de Mardi Gras , a tradition that dates to medieval celebrations in France. St. Louis , Missouri , founded in 1764 by French fur traders, claims to host the second largest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States. The celebration is held in the historic French neighborhood, Soulard , and attracts hundreds of thousands of people from around
1353-501: A greater movement, normally [əʊ], [əʉ] or [əɨ]. Dropping a morphological grammatical number , in collective nouns , is stronger in British English than North American English. This is to treat them as plural when once grammatically singular, a perceived natural number prevails, especially when applying to institutional nouns and groups of people. The noun 'police', for example, undergoes this treatment: Police are investigating
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#17328454378081476-655: A last opportunity for excess before Lent begins. Some of the most famous are the Carnival of Barranquilla , the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife , the Carnival of Venice , Cologne Carnival , the New Orleans Mardi Gras , the Rio de Janeiro carnival , and the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival . In stark contrast to traditions of merrymaking and feasting, Oriental Orthodox Churches practice a pre-Lenten fast in preparation for Lent which
1599-406: A lesser class or social status and often discounted or considered of a low intelligence. Another contribution to the standardisation of British English was the introduction of the printing press to England in the mid-15th century. In doing so, William Caxton enabled a common language and spelling to be dispersed among the entirety of England at a much faster rate. Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of
1722-520: A masked ball at Turner Hall (Sealy at 21st St.) and a theatrical performance from Shakespeare's "King Henry IV" featuring Alvan Reed (a justice of the peace weighing in at 350 pounds) as Falstaff. The first year that Mardi Gras was celebrated on a grand scale in Galveston was 1871 with the emergence of two rival Mardi Gras societies, or "Krewes" called the Knights of Momus (known only by the initials "K.O.M.") and
1845-623: A parade, just tableau and ball. The Knights of Momus and Rex came about in 1872, with the last of the old-line krewes the Krewe of Proteus being formed 10 years later. Of these 5 groups only Rex and Proteus still formally parade, with the Knights of Chaos replacing Momus. The parades of the largest krewes (colloquially known as "super krewes") came later, during the 1960s/70's, and traditionally occur immediately prior to and on Shrove Tuesday, including those of Endymion (Saturday, which also culminates with
1968-516: A period of fasting before Pascha [Easter]). However it is known that the 40-day period of fasting – the season later named Lent – before Eastertide was clarified at the Nicene Council. In 363-64 AD, the Council of Laodicea prescribed the Lenten fast as "of strict necessity". The 40 days of Lent are calculated differently among the various Christian denominations that observe it, depending on how
2091-491: A period of forty days and forty nights...merited to extinguish the prolonged and severe dryness of the whole world, doing so with a stream of rain and steeping the earth's dryness with the bounty of water from heaven", in the Christian tradition, this is interpreted as being "a figure of ourselves so that we, also fasting a total of forty days, might merit the spiritual rain of baptism...[and] a shower from heaven might pour down upon
2214-464: A pontifical decree of Pope Alexander VI . Until 1741, meat and lacticinia were otherwise forbidden for the whole season of Lent, including Sundays. In that year, Pope Benedict XIV allowed for the consumption of meat and lacticinia during certain fasting days of Lent. Abstinence from alcohol during the season of Lent has traditionally been enjoined "in remembrance of the Sacred Thirst of Our Lord on
2337-648: A process called T-glottalisation . National media, being based in London, have seen the glottal stop spreading more widely than it once was in word endings, not being heard as "no [ʔ] " and bottle of water being heard as "bo [ʔ] le of wa [ʔ] er". It is still stigmatised when used at the beginning and central positions, such as later , while often has all but regained /t/ . Other consonants subject to this usage in Cockney English are p , as in pa [ʔ] er and k as in ba [ʔ] er. In most areas of England and Wales, outside
2460-511: A regional accent or dialect. However, about 2% of Britons speak with an accent called Received Pronunciation (also called "the King's English", "Oxford English" and " BBC English" ), that is essentially region-less. It derives from a mixture of the Midlands and Southern dialects spoken in London in the early modern period. It is frequently used as a model for teaching English to foreign learners. In
2583-522: A specific racial/ethnic group or sexual minority , (week) = week-long holidays, (month) = month-long holidays, (36) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies British English British English (abbreviations: BrE , en-GB , and BE ) is the set of varieties of the English language native to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland . More narrowly, it can refer specifically to
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#17328454378082706-497: A version based on the Latin term referring to the 40 days (see above), also has a "great fast" version: postul mare . Dutch has three options, one of which means fasting period , and the other two referring to the 40-day period indicated in the Latin term: vastentijd , veertigdagentijd and quadragesima , respectively. In India, it is called चरम चालीसा ( Charam Chalisa - meaning, "climax forty"). In Maltese , despite being
2829-610: Is a period of grief that necessarily ends with a great celebration of Easter . Thus, it is known in Eastern Orthodox circles as the season of "bright sadness" ( Greek : χαρμολύπη , romanized : charmolypê ). The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer for Easter through prayer , mortifying the flesh , repentance of sins, almsgiving , simple living , and self-denial . In Lent, many Christians commit to fasting , as well as giving up certain luxuries in imitation of Christ 's sacrifice during his journey into
2952-725: Is also due to London-centric influences. Examples of R-dropping are car and sugar , where the R is not pronounced. British dialects differ on the extent of diphthongisation of long vowels, with southern varieties extensively turning them into diphthongs, and with northern dialects normally preserving many of them. As a comparison, North American varieties could be said to be in-between. Long vowels /iː/ and /uː/ are usually preserved, and in several areas also /oː/ and /eː/, as in go and say (unlike other varieties of English, that change them to [oʊ] and [eɪ] respectively). Some areas go as far as not diphthongising medieval /iː/ and /uː/, that give rise to modern /aɪ/ and /aʊ/; that is, for example, in
3075-598: Is also related. According to the Oxford English Dictionary , 'the shorter form (? Old Germanic type * laŋgito - , * laŋgiton -) seems to be a derivative of * laŋgo - long […] and may possibly have reference to the lengthening of the days as characterizing the season of spring'. The origin of the - en element is less clear: it may simply be a suffix , or lencten may originally have been a compound of * laŋgo - 'long' and an otherwise little-attested word *- tino , meaning "day". In languages spoken where Christianity
3198-520: Is an important celebration in Lutheran , Anglican and Catholic European nations. The three-day Carnival of Binche , near Mons , is one of the best known in Belgium. It takes place around Shrove Tuesday (or Mardi Gras) just before Lent . Performers known as Gilles wear elaborate costumes in the national colours of red, black and yellow. During the parade, they throw oranges at the crowd. In 2003, it
3321-417: Is based on British English, but has more influence from American English , often grouped together due to their close proximity. British English, for example, is the closest English to Indian English, but Indian English has extra vocabulary and some English words are assigned different meanings. Lent Lent ( Latin : Quadragesima , 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christian religious observance in
3444-586: Is broken only after the Paschal (Easter) Divine Liturgy. The Eastern Orthodox Church maintains the traditional Church's teaching on fasting. The rules for lenten fasting are the monastic rules. Fasting in the Orthodox Church is more than simply abstaining from certain foods. During the Great Lent Orthodox Faithful intensify their prayers and spiritual exercises, go to church services more often, study
3567-424: Is celebrated. On the final day of the season, Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras , many traditional Christians, such as Catholics , Lutherans , Anglicans , and Methodists "make a special point of self-examination, of considering what wrongs they need to repent, and what amendments of life or areas of spiritual growth they especially need to ask God's help in dealing with." During Shrovetide, many churches place
3690-818: Is commemorated on Good Friday, and at the beginning of the next week the joyful celebration of Easter, the start of the Easter season , which recalls the Resurrection of Jesus . In some Christian denominations, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday form the Easter Triduum . The English word Lent is a shortened form of the Old English word lencten , meaning " spring season ", as its Dutch language cognate lente ( Old Dutch lentin ) still does today. A dated term in German , Lenz ( Old High German lenzo ),
3813-511: Is described as lasting for a total duration of 40 days, the number of days Jesus, as well as Moses and Elijah , went without food in their respective fasts. In Lent-observing Western Christian denominations, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later; depending on the Christian denomination and local custom, Lent concludes either on the evening of Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday), or at sundown on Holy Saturday , when
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3936-590: Is filled with large banquets held by the various organizing societies and generally comes to a climax beginning on what is variously known as Schmutziger Donnerstag or Fetter Donnerstag ( Fat Thursday ), Unsinniger Donnerstag (Nonsense Thursday), Altweiberfastnacht , Greesentag and others. In standard German , schmutzig means "dirty", but in the Alemannic dialects schmotzig means "lard" ( Schmalz ), or "fat"; thus "Greasy Thursday", as remaining winter stores of lard and butter used to be consumed at that time, before
4059-529: Is immediately followed by the fast of Great Lent without interruption. There are traditionally 40 days in Lent; these are marked by fasting, both from foods and festivities, and by other acts of penance . Fasting is maintained for all 40 days of Lent (regardless of how they are enumerated; see above ). Historically, fasting and abstinence has been maintained continuously for the weekdays of the whole Lenten season, with Sundays being days of abstinence only. The making of
4182-769: Is included in style guides issued by various publishers including The Times newspaper, the Oxford University Press and the Cambridge University Press . The Oxford University Press guidelines were originally drafted as a single broadsheet page by Horace Henry Hart, and were at the time (1893) the first guide of their type in English; they were gradually expanded and eventually published, first as Hart's Rules , and in 2002 as part of The Oxford Manual of Style . Comparable in authority and stature to The Chicago Manual of Style for published American English ,
4305-513: Is no earlier incarnation. Second, that it is based on an Egyptian Christian post- theophany fast. Third, a combination of origins syncretized around the Council of Nicea. There are early references to periods of fasting prior to baptism . For instance, the Didache , a 1st or 2nd-century Christian text, commends "the baptizer, the one to be baptized, and any others that are able" to fast to prepare for
4428-474: Is recorded to have taken place in 1833 with Bernard de Marigny funding the first organized parade, tableau, and ball. The tradition in New Orleans expanded to the point that it became synonymous with the city in popular perception, and embraced by residents of New Orleans beyond those of French or Catholic heritage. Mardi Gras celebrations are part of the basis of the slogan Laissez les bons temps rouler ("Let
4551-737: Is the Monday after Ash Wednesday. The special Ash Wednesday fast is transferred to the first Friday of the Ambrosian Lent. Until this rite was revised by Saint Charles Borromeo , the liturgy of the First Sunday of Lent was festive, celebrated in white vestments with chanting of the Gloria in Excelsis and Alleluia , in line with the recommendation in Matthew 6:16, "When you fast, do not look gloomy." During Lent,
4674-405: Is the opportunity for a last round of merrymaking associated with Mardis Gras before the start of the somber Lenten season. The last day of Shrovetide, Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), is named as such "because people felt bloated having eaten up all the rich foods before Lent" in order to prepare for the coming season of repentance. The festival season varies from city to city; Mardis Gras often refers to
4797-673: Is the same as the traditional 40-day calculation.) In the Byzantine Rite , i.e., the Eastern Orthodox Great Lent (Greek: Μεγάλη Τεσσαρακοστή or Μεγάλη Νηστεία, meaning "Great 40 Days" and "Great Fast" respectively) is the most important fasting season in the church year. The 40 days of Great Lent include Sundays, and begin on Clean Monday . The 40 days are immediately followed by what are considered distinct periods of fasting, Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday , which in turn are followed straightway by Holy Week . Great Lent
4920-530: The Chambers Dictionary , and the Collins Dictionary record actual usage rather than attempting to prescribe it. In addition, vocabulary and usage change with time; words are freely borrowed from other languages and other varieties of English, and neologisms are frequent. For historical reasons dating back to the rise of London in the ninth century, the form of language spoken in London and
5043-843: The Alexandrian Rite , i.e. , the Coptic Orthodox , Coptic Catholic , Ethiopian Orthodox , Ethiopian Catholic , Eritrean Orthodox , and Eritrean Catholic Churches, observe eight continuous weeks of fasting constituting three distinct consecutive fasting periods: As in the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the date of Easter is typically reckoned according to the Julian calendar , and usually occurs later than Easter according to Gregorian calendar used by Catholic and Protestant Churches. In Ethiopian Orthodoxy, fasting ( tsome ) lasts for 55 continuous days before Easter ( Fasika ), although
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5166-486: The Daniel Fast during the season of Lent, in which one abstains from "meat, fish, egg, dairy products, chocolates, ice creams, sugar, sweets, wine or any alcoholic beverages" (cf. Daniel 10:3 ). After attending a worship service (often on Wednesday and Friday evenings), it is common for Christians of various denominations to conclude that day's Lenten fast together through a communal Lenten supper , which may be held in
5289-637: The East Midlands became standard English within the Court, and ultimately became the basis for generally accepted use in the law, government, literature and education in Britain. The standardisation of British English is thought to be from both dialect levelling and a thought of social superiority. Speaking in the Standard dialect created class distinctions; those who did not speak the standard English would be considered of
5412-544: The Easter Vigil is celebrated, though in either case, Lenten fasting observances are maintained until the evening of Holy Saturday. Sundays may or may not be excluded, depending on the denomination. In Eastern Christianity – including Eastern Orthodox , Eastern Catholics , Eastern Lutherans , and Oriental Orthodox – Great Lent is observed continuously without interruption for 40 days starting on Clean Monday and ending on Lazarus Saturday before Holy Week . Lent
5535-509: The English language in England , or, more broadly, to the collective dialects of English throughout the British Isles taken as a single umbrella variety, for instance additionally incorporating Scottish English , Welsh English , and Northern Irish English . Tom McArthur in the Oxford Guide to World English acknowledges that British English shares "all the ambiguities and tensions [with]
5658-687: The Roman Rite Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and ends on the evening of Holy Thursday with the Mass of the Lord's Supper . This comprises a period of 44 days. Historically, the fasting and abstinence were enjoined during the weekdays of Lent and with Sundays being days of abstinence; the obligations of the Lenten fast continue through Good Friday and Holy Saturday, totaling 40 days (with the Eucharistic Fast applying as well). Although Lent formally ends on Holy Thursday, Lenten fasting practices continue until
5781-606: The Romance language group are: Catalan quaresma , French carême , Galician coresma , Italian quaresima , Occitan quaresma , Portuguese quaresma , Romanian păresimi , Sardinian caresima , Spanish cuaresma , and Walloon cwareme . Examples in non-Latin-based languages are: Albanian kreshma , Basque garizuma , Croatian korizma , Irish and Scottish Gaelic carghas , Swahili kwaresima , Filipino kuwaresma , and Welsh c(a)rawys . In other languages,
5904-484: The Royal Spanish Academy with Spanish. Standard British English differs notably in certain vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation features from standard American English and certain other standard English varieties around the world. British and American spelling also differ in minor ways. The accent, or pronunciation system, of standard British English, based in southeastern England, has been known for over
6027-486: The Scots language or Scottish Gaelic ). Each group includes a range of dialects, some markedly different from others. The various British dialects also differ in the words that they have borrowed from other languages. Around the middle of the 15th century, there were points where within the 5 major dialects there were almost 500 ways to spell the word though . Following its last major survey of English Dialects (1949–1950),
6150-612: The UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage List . The celebration on the same day in Germany knows many different terms, depending on the region, such as Fastnacht , meaning the eve of the fast that takes place during Lent, or Veilchensdienstag (Violet Tuesday), as it is called in the Lower Rhine region. The celebrations often stretch from Epiphany, known in sections of Germany as Heilige Drei Könige, through
6273-560: The University of Leeds has started work on a new project. In May 2007 the Arts and Humanities Research Council awarded a grant to Leeds to study British regional dialects. The team are sifting through a large collection of examples of regional slang words and phrases turned up by the "Voices project" run by the BBC , in which they invited the public to send in examples of English still spoken throughout
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#17328454378086396-601: The West Country and other near-by counties of the UK, the consonant R is not pronounced if not followed by a vowel, lengthening the preceding vowel instead. This phenomenon is known as non-rhoticity . In these same areas, a tendency exists to insert an R between a word ending in a vowel and a next word beginning with a vowel. This is called the intrusive R . It could be understood as a merger, in that words that once ended in an R and words that did not are no longer treated differently. This
6519-543: The date of Easter is calculated, but also on which days Lent is understood to begin and end, and on whether all the days of Lent are counted consecutively. Additionally, the date of Lent may depend on the calendar used by the particular church, such as the ( revised ) Julian or Gregorian calendars typically used by Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant churches, or the Ethiopian and Coptic calendars traditionally used by some Oriental Orthodox churches. Since 1970, in
6642-926: The liturgical year commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan , according to the Gospels of Matthew , Mark and Luke , before beginning his public ministry . Lent is usually observed in the Catholic , Lutheran , Moravian , Anglican , United Protestant and Orthodox Christian traditions, among others. Some Anabaptist , Baptist , Methodist , Reformed (including certain Continental Reformed , Presbyterian and Congregationalist churches), and nondenominational Christian churches also observe Lent, although many churches in these traditions do not. Which days are enumerated as being part of Lent differs between denominations (see below ), although in all of them Lent
6765-537: The 21st century. RP, while long established as the standard English accent around the globe due to the spread of the British Empire , is distinct from the standard English pronunciation in some parts of the world; most prominently, RP notably contrasts with standard North American accents. In the 21st century, dictionaries like the Oxford English Dictionary , the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English ,
6888-440: The Christian fasting season of Lent , during which the consumption of such foods is avoided. Related popular practices are associated with Carnival celebrations before the fasting and religious obligations associated with the penitential season of Lent. In countries such as the United Kingdom , Mardi Gras is more usually known as Pancake Day or (traditionally) Shrove Tuesday, derived from the word shrive , meaning "to administer
7011-587: The Church discourages marriages, but couples may marry if they forgo the special blessings of the Nuptial Mass and limit social celebrations. The period of Lent observed in the Eastern Catholic Churches corresponds to that in other churches of Eastern Christianity that have similar traditions. In Protestant and Western Orthodox Churches that celebrate it, the season of Lent lasts from Ash Wednesday to
7134-399: The Easter Vigil and additionally, the celebration of Easter is preceded by the Paschal fast. In the Ambrosian Rite , Lent begins on the Sunday that follows what is celebrated as Ash Wednesday in the rest of the Latin Catholic Church , and ends as in the Roman Rite, thus being of 40 days, counting the Sundays but not Holy Thursday. The day for beginning the Lenten fast in the Ambrosian Rite
7257-651: The English Language (1755) was a large step in the English-language spelling reform , where the purification of language focused on standardising both speech and spelling. By the early 20th century, British authors had produced numerous books intended as guides to English grammar and usage, a few of which achieved sufficient acclaim to have remained in print for long periods and to have been reissued in new editions after some decades. These include, most notably of all, Fowler's Modern English Usage and The Complete Plain Words by Sir Ernest Gowers . Detailed guidance on many aspects of writing British English for publication
7380-405: The Episcopal Church, the main U.S. branch of the Anglican Communion, the 1979 Book of Common Prayer identifies Holy Week--comprising Palm/Passion Sunday through Holy Saturday--as a separate season after Lent; but the Days of Special Devotion, to be observed by special acts of discipline and self-denial, include the weekdays of, but not the Sundays in, both Lent and Holy Week, so the practical effect
7503-434: The Germanic schwein ) is the animal in the field bred by the occupied Anglo-Saxons and pork (like the French porc ) is the animal at the table eaten by the occupying Normans. Another example is the Anglo-Saxon cu meaning cow, and the French bœuf meaning beef. Cohabitation with the Scandinavians resulted in a significant grammatical simplification and lexical enrichment of the Anglo-Frisian core of English;
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#17328454378087626-420: The Knights of Myth, both of which devised night parades, masked balls, exquisite costumes and elaborate invitations. The Knights of Momus, led by some prominent Galvestonians, decorated horse-drawn wagons for a torch lit night parade. Boasting such themes as "The Crusades", "Peter the Great", and "Ancient France", the procession through downtown Galveston culminated at Turner Hall with a presentation of tableaux and
7749-417: The Lenten fast in a positive tone, not as renunciation but as contributing to causes such as environmental stewardship and improvement of health. Even some atheists find value in the Christian tradition and observe Lent. Historically, using the early Christian form known as the Black Fast , the observant does not consume food for a whole day until the evening, and at sunset, Christians traditionally break
7872-438: The Lenten fast of that day with a vegetarian supper (no food or drink is consumed in a day apart from that in the Lenten supper ). In India and Pakistan , many Christians continue this practice of fasting until sunset on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday , with many fasting in this manner throughout the whole season of Lent. Christians of various traditions, including Catholics and Methodists, have voluntarily undertaken
7995-405: The Lenten fast was a 40-day fast that "the entire world" observed. Saint Augustine of Hippo (AD 354–AD 430) wrote that: "Our fast at any other time is voluntary; but during Lent, we sin if we do not fast." Three main prevailing theories exist on the finalization of Lent as a 40-day fast prior to the arrival of Easter Sunday: First, that it was created at the Council of Nicea in 325 and there
8118-406: The Lenten penitential season ends after the Easter Vigil Mass or Sunrise service . Orthodox Christians also break their fast after the Paschal Vigil , a service which starts around 11:00 pm on Holy Saturday, and which includes the Paschal celebration of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom . At the end of the service, the priest blesses cheese, eggs, flesh meats, and other items that
8241-621: The Oxford Manual is a fairly exhaustive standard for published British English that writers can turn to in the absence of specific guidance from their publishing house. British English is the basis of, and very similar to, Commonwealth English . Commonwealth English is English as spoken and written in the Commonwealth countries , though often with some local variation. This includes English spoken in Australia , Malta , New Zealand , Nigeria , and South Africa . It also includes South Asian English used in South Asia, in English varieties in Southeast Asia , and in parts of Africa. Canadian English
8364-419: The Scriptures and the works of the Church Fathers in depth, limit their entertainment and spendings and focus on charity and good works. Some other churches that follow the Byzantine Rite , including certain Eastern Catholic and Eastern Lutheran denominations have similar practices as those of Eastern Orthodoxy. Among the Oriental Orthodox , there are various local traditions regarding Lent. Those using
8487-599: The South East, there are significantly different accents; the Cockney accent spoken by some East Londoners is strikingly different from Received Pronunciation (RP). Cockney rhyming slang can be (and was initially intended to be) difficult for outsiders to understand, although the extent of its use is often somewhat exaggerated. Londoners speak with a mixture of accents, depending on ethnicity, neighbourhood, class, age, upbringing, and sundry other factors. Estuary English has been gaining prominence in recent decades: it has some features of RP and some of Cockney. Immigrants to
8610-463: The UK in recent decades have brought many more languages to the country and particularly to London. Surveys started in 1979 by the Inner London Education Authority discovered over 125 languages being spoken domestically by the families of the inner city's schoolchildren. Notably Multicultural London English , a sociolect that emerged in the late 20th century spoken mainly by young, working-class people in multicultural parts of London . Since
8733-458: The United Kingdom , as well as within the countries themselves. The major divisions are normally classified as English English (or English as spoken in England (which is itself broadly grouped into Southern English , West Country , East and West Midlands English and Northern English ), Northern Irish English (in Northern Ireland), Welsh English (not to be confused with the Welsh language ), and Scottish English (not to be confused with
8856-458: The West Scottish accent. Phonological features characteristic of British English revolve around the pronunciation of the letter R, as well as the dental plosive T and some diphthongs specific to this dialect. Once regarded as a Cockney feature, in a number of forms of spoken British English, /t/ has become commonly realised as a glottal stop [ʔ] when it is in the intervocalic position, in
8979-467: The adjective little is predominant elsewhere. Nevertheless, there is a meaningful degree of uniformity in written English within the United Kingdom, and this could be described by the term British English . The forms of spoken English, however, vary considerably more than in most other areas of the world where English is spoken and so a uniform concept of British English is more difficult to apply to
9102-481: The award of the grant in 2007, Leeds University stated: that they were "very pleased"—and indeed, "well chuffed"—at receiving their generous grant. He could, of course, have been "bostin" if he had come from the Black Country , or if he was a Scouser he would have been well "made up" over so many spondoolicks, because as a Geordie might say, £460,000 is a "canny load of chink". Most people in Britain speak with
9225-404: The church's parish hall . Lenten suppers ordinarily take place in the home setting during the 40 days of Lent during which a family (or individual) concludes that day's fast after a mealtime prayer . Fasting has historically included abstinence from alcohol, meat, lacticinia (dairy products), and other edible produce derived from animals (such as eggs), which has been enjoined continuously for
9348-581: The consumption of alcohol. Quartodeciman Christians end the fast of Lent on the Paschal full moon of the Hebrew calendar , in order to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread beginning on the 14th of Nisan , whence the name derives. For this practice, they were excommunicated in the Easter controversy of the 2nd century A.D. Three traditional practices to be taken up with renewed vigour during Lent; these are known as
9471-595: The country have notable celebrations. Mardi Gras arrived in North America as a French Catholic tradition with the Le Moyne brothers, Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville , in the late 17th century, when King Louis XIV sent the pair to defend France's claim on the territory of Louisiane , which included what are now the U.S. states of Alabama , Mississippi , Louisiana and part of eastern Texas . The expedition, led by Iberville, entered
9594-451: The country. Although founded in the 1760s, the St. Louis Mardi Gras festivities only date to the 1980s. The city's celebration begins with "12th night," held on Epiphany, and ends on Fat Tuesday. The season is peppered with various parades celebrating the city's rich French Catholic heritage. Mardi Gras, as a celebration of life before the more-somber occasion of Ash Wednesday, nearly always involves
9717-613: The country. The BBC Voices project also collected hundreds of news articles about how the British speak English from swearing through to items on language schools. This information will also be collated and analysed by Johnson's team both for content and for where it was reported. "Perhaps the most remarkable finding in the Voices study is that the English language is as diverse as ever, despite our increased mobility and constant exposure to other accents and dialects through TV and radio". When discussing
9840-442: The day before Lent is known as Shrove Tuesday, which is derived from the word shrive , meaning "to administer the sacrament of confession to; to absolve." In these countries, pancakes are associated with Shrove Tuesday because they are a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar – rich foods which are not eaten during the season. The Carnival celebrations which in many cultures traditionally precede Lent are seen as
9963-529: The desert for 40 days; this is known as one's Lenten sacrifice . Prior to the 6th century, Lent was normatively observed through the practice of the Black Fast , which enjoins fasting from food and liquids, with the allowance of one vegetarian meal after sunset. This form of fasting continues in certain denominations, such as the Coptic Orthodox Church . Many Lent-observing Christians also add
10086-532: The dry earth of the whole world, and the abundant waters of the saving bath might saturate the lengthy drought of the Gentiles." In the New Testament , Jesus went into the desert to fast and pray for 40 days and 40 nights; it was during this time that Satan tried to tempt him (cf. Matthew 4:1–3 ). The 40-day and night fasts of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus prepared them for their work. Early Christianity records
10209-578: The evening of Holy Saturday . This calculation makes Lent last 46 days if the 6 Sundays are included, but only 40 days if they are excluded. This definition is still that of the Moravian Church , Lutheran Church , Anglican Church , Methodist Church , Western Rite Orthodox Church , United Protestant Churches , and those of the Reformed Churches (i.e., Continental Reformed , Presbyterian , and Congregationalist ) that observe Lent. (In
10332-468: The event. The custom of veiling is typically practiced the last two weeks, beginning on the fifth Sunday of Lent (known as Judica Sunday or Passion Sunday ) until Good Friday , when the cross is unveiled solemnly in the liturgy. In most Lent-observing denominations, the last week of Lent coincides with Holy Week , starting with Palm Sunday . Following the New Testament narrative, Jesus' crucifixion
10455-407: The faithful have been abstaining from for the duration of Great Lent. Lenten traditions and liturgical practices are less common, less binding, and sometimes non-existent among some liberal and progressive Christians . A greater emphasis on anticipation of Easter Sunday is often encouraged more than the penitence of Lent or Holy Week. Some Christians as well as secular groups also interpret
10578-770: The fast is divided into three separate periods: Tsome Hirkal, the eight-day Fast of Heraclius , commemorating the fast requested by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius before he reputedly set out to fight the Sassanian Empire and recover the True Cross which had been seized and taken from Jerusalem; Tsome Arba, 40 days of Lent; and Tsome Himamat, seven days commemorating Holy Week . Fasting involves abstention from animal products (meat, dairy, and eggs), and refraining from eating or drinking before 3:00 pm. Ethiopian devotees may also abstain from sexual activity and
10701-477: The fasting began. Altweiberfastnacht often featured women wearing men's clothing and assuming their roles. In many towns across the state of North Rhine Westphalia, a ritual "takeover" of the town halls by local women has become tradition. In Italy Mardi Gras is called Martedì Grasso (Fat Tuesday). It is the main day of Carnival along with the Thursday before, called Giovedí Grasso (Fat Thursday), which ratifies
10824-407: The festival is spelled Carnevale. In Sweden the celebration is called Fettisdagen, when fastlagsbulle is eaten, more commonly called Semla . The name comes from the words "fett" (fat) and "tisdag" (Tuesday). Originally, this was the only day one should eat fastlagsbullar . While not observed nationally throughout the United States, a number of historically ethnically French cities and regions in
10947-488: The good times roll"), as floats "roll." Festivities formally began in 1853 when a group of Protestant Anglo-Americans , some members of Mobile Mystic Societies , formed the first "old-line" krewe, The Mistick Krewe of Comus , based on Bernard de Marigny 's 1833 parade of paper-mached wagons, a formal tableau vivant and presentation of debutants, followed by a formal ball . The Twelfth Night Revelers were formed in 1870, again with ties to Mobile , but no longer stage
11070-453: The idea of two different morphemes, one that causes the double negation, and one that is used for the point or the verb. Standard English in the United Kingdom, as in other English-speaking nations, is widely enforced in schools and by social norms for formal contexts but not by any singular authority; for instance, there is no institution equivalent to the Académie française with French or
11193-927: The last day of Shrovetide (or Fastelavn or Carnival), thus being synonymous with Shrove Tuesday . Some traditions, such as the one in New Orleans , Louisiana , consider Mardi Gras to stretch the entire period from Twelfth Night (the last night of Christmas which begins Epiphany ) to Ash Wednesday. Others treat the final three-day period before Ash Wednesday as the Mardi Gras. In Mobile, Alabama , Mardi Gras– associated social events begin in November , followed by mystic society balls New Year's Eve, followed by parades and balls in January and February, celebrating up to midnight before Ash Wednesday . In earlier times, parades were held on New Year's Day. Carnival (or Fastelavn or Shrovetide )
11316-511: The last southern Midlands accent to use the broad "a" in words like bath or grass (i.e. barth or grarss ). Conversely crass or plastic use a slender "a". A few miles northwest in Leicestershire the slender "a" becomes more widespread generally. In the town of Corby , five miles (8 km) north, one can find Corbyite which, unlike the Kettering accent, is largely influenced by
11439-459: The later Norman occupation led to the grafting onto that Germanic core of a more elaborate layer of words from the Romance branch of the European languages. This Norman influence entered English largely through the courts and government. Thus, English developed into a "borrowing" language of great flexibility and with a huge vocabulary . Dialects and accents vary amongst the four countries of
11562-525: The like, though death may be a theme in some. The Venice tradition has brought golden masks into the usual round of costumes. Although the Church teaches that it is sinful and that it contravenes the Christian standards of modesty , the practice of some women exposing their breasts during Mardi Gras in New Orleans , US, has been documented since 1889, when the Times-Democrat decried the "degree of immodesty exhibited by nearly all female masqueraders seen on
11685-452: The mass internal migration to Northamptonshire in the 1940s and given its position between several major accent regions, it has become a source of various accent developments. In Northampton the older accent has been influenced by overspill Londoners. There is an accent known locally as the Kettering accent, which is a transitional accent between the East Midlands and East Anglian . It is
11808-458: The modern period, but due to their remoteness from the Germanic languages , influence on English was notably limited . However, the degree of influence remains debated, and it has recently been argued that its grammatical influence accounts for the substantial innovations noted between English and the other West Germanic languages. Initially, Old English was a diverse group of dialects, reflecting
11931-520: The mountains for 40 days and 40 nights to pray and fast "without eating bread or drinking water" before receiving the Ten Commandments (cf. Exodus 34:28 ). Likewise, the prophet Elijah went into the mountains for 40 days and nights to fast and pray "until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God" when "the word of the Lord came to him" (cf. 1 Kings 19:8–9 ). The early Christian bishop Maximus of Turin wrote that as Elijah by "fasting continuously for
12054-508: The mouth of the Mississippi River on the evening of 2 March 1699 (new style), Lundi Gras . They did not yet know it was the river explored and claimed for France by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in 1683. The party proceeded upstream to a place on the east bank about 60 miles (100 km) downriver from where New Orleans is today, and made camp. This was on 3 March 1699, Mardi Gras, so in honour of this holiday, Iberville named
12177-613: The name used refers to the activity associated with the season. Thus it is called "fasting period" in Czech ( postní doba ), German ( Fastenzeit ), and Norwegian ( fasten / fastetid ), and it is called "The Great Fast" in Arabic ( الصوم الكبير – al-ṣawm al-kabīr ), Syriac ( ܨܘܡܐ ܪܒܐ ṣawmā rabbā ), Polish ( wielki post ), Russian ( великий пост – vieliki post ), Ukrainian ( великий піст – velyky pist ), and Hungarian ( nagyböjt ). Romanian , apart from
12300-594: The night before Ash Wednesday, and is variously known by different names, such as Karneval or Fasching in Germany, Austria and German-speaking areas of Switzerland. It is also often referred to as the "fifth season", which traditionally begins with Hoppeditz Erwachen (the waking of Hoppeditz, the Fool who embodies the Karneval season) on 11 November at 11:11 AM (11/11 11:11). and ends with his comic funeral mass on Fastnacht. Karneval
12423-438: The opportunity to use up these foods prior to the start of the 40-day fasting season of Lent. Prior to the 6th century, Lent was normatively observed through the practice of the Black Fast , which enjoins fasting from food and liquids, with the allowance of one vegetarian meal and water after sunset. The tradition of pancake breakfasts during Shrovetide, as well as that of pancake races, owes itself to this practice of "using up
12546-472: The sacrament of confession to; to absolve". During the liturgical season of Lent, some Christians abstain from the consumption of certain foods such as meat, eggs, dairy products, and alcoholic beverages. Most Christian denominations observe the tradition of Lent; exceptions include many churches within the Anabaptist , Baptist , Methodist , and Reformed traditions. Shrovetide provided Christians with
12669-426: The sacrament. For centuries it has been common practice for baptisms to take place on Easter, and so such references were formerly taken to be references to a pre-Easter fast. Tertullian , in his 3rd-century work On Baptism , indicates that Easter was a "most solemn day for baptism." However, he is one of only a handful of writers in the ante-Nicene period who indicates this preference, and even he says that Easter
12792-455: The spoken language. Globally, countries that are former British colonies or members of the Commonwealth tend to follow British English, as is the case for English used by European Union institutions. In China, both British English and American English are taught. The UK government actively teaches and promotes English around the world and operates in over 200 countries . English is
12915-466: The spot Point du Mardi Gras (French: "Mardi Gras Point") and called the nearby tributary Bayou Mardi Gras. Bienville went on to found the settlement of Mobile, Alabama in 1702 as the first capital of French Louisiana. In 1703 French settlers in Mobile established the first organised Mardi Gras celebration tradition in what was to become the United States. The first informal mystic society , or krewe ,
13038-555: The start of the celebrations. The most famous Carnivals in northern Italy are in Venice, Viareggio and Ivrea, while in the southern part of Italy the Sardinian Sartiglia and the intriguing apotropaic masks, especially the mamuthones, issohadores, s'urtzu (and so on), are more popular, belonging to a very ancient tradition. Ivrea has the characteristic " Battle of Oranges " that finds its roots in medieval times. The Italian version of
13161-797: The streets." The practice was mostly limited to tourists in the upper Bourbon Street area. In the crowded streets of the French Quarter, generally avoided by locals on Mardi Gras Day, flashers on balconies cause crowds to form on the streets. In the last decades of the 20th century, the rise in producing commercial videotapes catering to voyeurs helped encourage a tradition of women baring their breasts in exchange for beads and trinkets. Social scientists studying "ritual disrobement" found, at Mardi Gras 1991, 1,200 instances of body-baring in exchange for beads or other favors. (federal) = federal holidays, (abbreviation) = state/territorial holidays, (religious) = religious holidays, (cultural) = holiday related to
13284-455: The surplus eggs, milk and butter" prior to Lent. In many Christian parish churches, both Protestant and Roman Catholic, a popular Shrove Tuesday tradition is the ringing of the church bells (on this day, the toll is known as the Shriving Bell) "to call the faithful to confession before the solemn season of Lent" and for people to "begin frying their pancakes". As such, a hallmark of Shrovetide
13407-587: The theft of work tools worth £500 from a van at the Sprucefield park and ride car park in Lisburn. A football team can be treated likewise: Arsenal have lost just one of 20 home Premier League matches against Manchester City. This tendency can be observed in texts produced already in the 19th century. For example, Jane Austen , a British author, writes in Chapter 4 of Pride and Prejudice , published in 1813: All
13530-518: The three pillars of Lent: Self-reflection, simplicity, and sincerity (honesty) are emphasised during the Lenten season. During pre-Lent , it is customary for Christians to ponder what Lenten sacrifices they will make for Lent. The pre-Lenten period concludes with the opportunity for a last round of merrymaking, known as Carnival , Shrovetide , or Fastelavn , before the start of the sombre Lenten season. The traditions of carrying Shrovetide rods and consuming Shrovetide buns after attending church
13653-452: The tradition of fasting before Easter. The Apostolic Constitutions permit the consumption of "bread, vegetables, salt and water, in Lent" with "flesh and wine being forbidden." The Canons of Hippolytus authorize only bread and salt to be consumed during Holy Week . The practice of fasting and abstaining from alcohol, meat and lacticinia during Lent thus became established in the Church. In AD 339, Athanasius of Alexandria wrote that
13776-402: The tradition of hitting a barrel, which represents fighting Satan; after doing this, children enjoy the sweets inside the barrel. Lutheran Christians in these nations carry Shrovetide rods (fastelavnsris), which "branches decorated with sweets, little presents, etc., that are used to decorate the home or give to children." In English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada ,
13899-403: The traditional accent of Newcastle upon Tyne , 'out' will sound as 'oot', and in parts of Scotland and North-West England, 'my' will be pronounced as 'me'. Long vowels /iː/ and /uː/ are diphthongised to [ɪi] and [ʊu] respectively (or, more technically, [ʏʉ], with a raised tongue), so that ee and oo in feed and food are pronounced with a movement. The diphthong [oʊ] is also pronounced with
14022-513: The use of masks and costumes by its participants, and the most popular celebratory colors are purple, green, and gold. In New Orleans, for example, these often take the shape of fairies, animals, people from myths, or various Medieval costumes as well as clowns and Indians ( Native Americans ). Many costumes today are simply elaborate creations of colored feathers and capes. Unlike Halloween costumery, Mardi Gras costumes are not usually associated with such things as zombies, mummies, bats, blood, and
14145-784: The varied origins of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England. One of these dialects, Late West Saxon , eventually came to dominate. The original Old English was then influenced by two waves of invasion: the first was by speakers of the Scandinavian branch of the Germanic family, who settled in parts of Britain in the eighth and ninth centuries; the second was the Normans in the 11th century, who spoke Old Norman and ultimately developed an English variety of this called Anglo-Norman . These two invasions caused English to become "mixed" to some degree (though it
14268-572: The whole duration of the season including Sundays. Throughout Christendom , some adherents continue to mark the season with a traditional abstention from the consumption of meat ( vegetarianism ), most notably among Catholics, Lutherans, and Anglicans. The form of abstention may vary depending on what is customary; some abstain from meat for 40 days, some do so only on Fridays, or some only on Good Friday itself. In Catholicism, lacticinia may be consumed by penitents in Spain and its colonised territories, per
14391-402: The word 'British' and as a result can be used and interpreted in two ways, more broadly or more narrowly, within a range of blurring and ambiguity". Variations exist in formal (both written and spoken) English in the United Kingdom. For example, the adjective wee is almost exclusively used in parts of Scotland, north-east England, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and occasionally Yorkshire , whereas
14514-560: The world are good and agreeable in your eyes. However, in Chapter 16, the grammatical number is used. The world is blinded by his fortune and consequence. Some dialects of British English use negative concords, also known as double negatives . Rather than changing a word or using a positive, words like nobody, not, nothing, and never would be used in the same sentence. While this does not occur in Standard English, it does occur in non-standard dialects. The double negation follows
14637-425: Was by no means the only favored day for baptisms in his locale. Since the 20th century, scholars have acknowledged that Easter was not the standard day for baptisms in the early church, and references to pre-baptismal periods of fasting were not necessarily connected with Easter. There were shorter periods of fasting observed in the pre-Nicene church ( Athanasius noted that the 4th-century Alexandrian church observed
14760-531: Was earlier established, such as Greek and Latin , the term signifies the period dating from the 40th weekday before Easter. In modern Greek the term is Σαρακοστή ( Sarakostí ), derived from the earlier Τεσσαρακοστή ( Tessarakostí ), meaning "fortieth". The corresponding word in Latin , quadragesima ("fortieth"), is the origin of the terms used in Latin-derived languages and in some others. Examples in
14883-617: Was formed in Mobile in 1711, the Boeuf Gras Society . Then came the Striker's Independent Society in 1842, followed by the oldest parading mystic society the Order of Myths or "OOMs" in 1867. In 1720, Biloxi had been made capital of Louisiana. The French Mardi Gras customs had accompanied the colonists who settled there. In 1723, the capital of Louisiana was moved to New Orleans , founded in 1718. The first Mardi Gras parade held in New Orleans
15006-422: Was never a truly mixed language in the strictest sense of the word; mixed languages arise from the cohabitation of speakers of different languages, who develop a hybrid tongue for basic communication). The more idiomatic, concrete and descriptive English is, the more it is from Anglo-Saxon origins. The more intellectual and abstract English is, the more it contains Latin and French influences, e.g. swine (like
15129-575: Was recognized by UNESCO as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity . In the Czech Republic , it is a folk tradition to celebrate Mardi Gras, which is called Masopust (meat-fast, i.e. beginning of the fast there). There are celebrations in many places including Prague , but the tradition also prevails in villages such as Staré Hamry , whose door-to-door processions made it to
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