Lent. What is it, and how does it tie in with Parisian culture? Today I’ll be sharing what Lent is, and why it is important to Paris.

What is Lent?

Lent is a act that Catholic do to honor the sacrifices of Jesus. It starts on Ash Wednesday and continues for forty days until Easter. You’re probably wondering ,“So, what do Catholic do to celebrate Lent?”. Catholic give up something or volunteer to do work for others for 40 days. They also can’t eat meat on Fridays, that’s how they show fasting and preparation for Easter.

Why is Lent important to Parisians?

It all comes down to the Notre Dame Cathedral. Why? Since the Notre Dame is a Catholic church, and the majority of Parisians are Catholic, Lent is very a big thing in Paris, France. In Paris they call Lent “Paques” but is similar to Lent here in America.

What do Parisians do to celebrate Paques?

Parisians wake up extremely early to prepare the feast and go easter egg hunting (just like we do in North America) and after that they have a feast that consists of L’Agneau Pascal, Roasted Asparagus, and to finish it off, they eat their Easter candy. Some Parisians even celebrate by staying up all night, having their friends over, and even watch Easter movies.

In conclusion, Lent and Paris have a lot in common. There a lot of Catholics in Paris that celebrate Lent and they have certain traditions that they do.