Sam Chan
I was reminded this morning by the Breakfast Club volunteers from the local churches that it’s Shrove Tuesday and the Christian tradition is to serve pancakes for breakfast. Which has happened in previous years here at Brighton. Oh dear…. I had broken the tradition. Shrove Tuesday is not something that I had grown up celebrating. From my understanding Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday or Pancake Day is the start of Lent which is the 40 day period before Easter. In this period people prepare themselves to celebrate Easter. One way is through fasting from the luxury in their life such as cream, sugar and fats. Which is why people eat pancakes. As it was a simple meal to clear out all the things that they were to fast from… by piling it onto the pancake.
We may celebrate Shrove Tuesday on another Tuesday here at Brighton.
I think the idea of fasting or abstaining from luxury in our life is rather foreign in our society. Except those who are on diets, tight budgets or for some other reason. The marketing ads encourages us to enjoy life, to live it up, happiness is only a few dollars away, pleasure can be brought over the counter so simply. Comfort is value worth pursuing. So why do we fast? I am not a faster… I get hangry (hungry angry). But there is an idea that fasting causes people to realise their humanity and the simplicity of life. After realising the simplicity of life the simple pleasures of life seem to shine brighter.
The simple pleasures in life are accessible to all. What are the simple pleasures in your life?
I wonder: if there are simple pleasures, what are the complex pleasures in life? Are they only accessible to a few? Do many strive but only few attain the goal… the complex pleasure?
(Does that means we shouldn’t strive… a thought for another day.)
Sam Chan