Free printable Shrove Tuesday activities to prepare for Ash Wednesday and Lenten season

Mardi Gras--also called Fat Tuesday, Pancake Day and Shrove Tuesday--anticipates Ash Wednesday and Lent in the Catholic, Orthodox and some protestant Christian churches. These observances count down to holy week and the Easter Triduum. Shrove Tuesday falls at a different day each year with the movable Easter feast. In 2015, it's Tuesday, Feb. 17. Although the term Mardi Gras is used synonymously with the Carnivale ("farewell to the flesh") celebration, it's actually one day. Here are activities children can do to learn more about Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Lent.

Pray, fast and give alms. Print the calendar at the left to organize your lenten practices. Mardi Gras is the last day of ordinary time before Lent, the 40-day spiritual pilgrimage that follows Christ on his journey through the desert where he was tempted by Satan. As Jesus fasted, Catholics are called to imitate. Fasting means giving up self-centered practices and practicing selfless acts. The principal virtues of Lent are prayer, fasting and almsgiving (donating to those in need). At Ash Wednesday mass, the first religious event of Lent, the faithful are marked with ashes and told to "turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel."

http://www.thereligionteacher.com/lent-project-and-lesson-plan-ideas/

Confess sins. For Catholics, Mardi Gras is more than just a day to party before the fasting begins. The traditional name "Shrove Tuesday" more accurately reflects the purpose of Mardi Gras. To be shriven means to be purged of sin and purified by acts of confession and reconciliation in the Sacrament of penance. On Shrove Tuesday, Catholics go to confession, pray, repent and attend prayer services.
Explore with printable Lent lesson plans. Operation Rice Bowl has free Lenten printables.

http://www.crsricebowl.org/

Catholic Mom offers free printable Lent worksheets, puzzles, coloring pages, crafts, games and activities. Children can color Bible pictures, read from the Gospels, follow mass readings, pray the rosary and other Catholic prayers. Printables help reinforce lessons.

http://catholicmom.com/kids/lenten-activities-for-children/

Enjoy Pancake Day. Traditionally, during Lent, people abstain from eating meat, sugar, sweets, oil, butter and fats (hence the term "Fat Tuesday"). To use up these ingredients so they would not be in the home during Lent (and hence a temptation), Catholics made pancakes. That's why it's called Pancake Day.

Abstain from bad, practice good.
Giving up things (fasting) is a spiritual exercise. Catholics fast from
meat on Fridays (in remembrance of the death of Jesus). Many give up chocolate or other sweets. Fasting is particularly healthy for everyone, not just Catholics. It purges the body and soul. Fasting helps the mind focus on spiritual things. Lenten fasting resembles the dietary laws of other religions, notably Kashrut (kosher) Jewish laws, Buddhist and Muslim Ramadan fasting practices. But it's not just about giving up bad habits. It's about learning new healthier ones. So encourage children to give up something they like (candy) and work on improving a behavior--manners, tidiness, getting along.

Pancake Day recipes, Shrove Tuesday pancakes, waffles for Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday feast

Happy Pancake Day! Also called Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, it's the day Catholics celebrate in preparation for Ash Wednesday and the sacrificial Lenten season. Catholics give up things for Lent. Traditionally that meant abstaining from meat, dairy, eggs, fat and sugar for 40 days till Easter. So they would use up or "shrive" the house of those foods and make them into pancakes. A house shriven (purged) of temptation symbolizes a soul purged of sin (Catholics also to confession before Lent to ready themselves for the penitential season). Here are delicious pancake and waffle recipes for Pancake Day. You can cheat and use pancake mix--the best is Krusteaz Honey Wheat. Krusteaz uses unbleached and whole grain flour. Pancake Day recipes, Shrove Tuesday pancakes, waffles for Mardi Gras feast 

Free Catholic Bible printables, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Holy Week coloring pages

Catholics celebrate several special religious days, referred to as holy days of obligation. These days center around a Bible event in the life of Jesus or His Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary. Holy Days are All Saints Day (Nov. 1), Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8), Christmas (preceded by the holy season of Advent), Solemnity of Mary (Jan 1), Ash Wednesday (movable feast which kicks of the holy season of Lent and leads up to Easter), Ascension Thursday (movable feast) and the Assumption of Mary (August 15). Here are free printable Catholic coloring pages featuring Bible stories. prayer, sacraments, mass, Gospel, saints, Lent, Advent, holidays and holy days, life of Jesus, Catholic saints' feast days, rosary and stations of the cross.Free Catholic Bible printables, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Holy Week coloring pages | Examiner.com

   

Free Printable Catholic Saints Coloring Pages for Ash Wednesday

In honor of Ash Wednesday here are Catholic saints coloring pages. I've just found a lovely blog today, called Waltzing Matilda, that features a whole collection of free printable Catholic saints organized in order of the Catholic liturgical and saints feast day calendar. Print these free coloring pages for All Saints' Day. This blog features beautiful hand drawn images. Waltzing Matilda has over 65 free printable saints coloring pages, all lovingly designed by the author of this blog. She makes these printables available free of charge to all homeschoolers, families, individuals, religious groups, churches and schools. She asks that people link to her blog, not the individual pages. I'm delighted to share links for these free printable saints coloring pages. Free Printable Catholic Saints Coloring Pages for All Saints Day

Free Printable 2016 Lenten Calendars

Our Lenten journey in the Catholic church begins on Ash Wednesday and follows Jesus Christ for forty days of suffering in the desert, up to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum. In 2016, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February, 10. Here are free printable Lenten calendars to help your experience of Lent.  Read on for Free Printable Lenten Calendars

Free Printable Palm Sunday, Holy Week Activities

Holy Week, the week preceding Easter, begins on Palm Sunday of the liturgical church year. Holy Week is the culmination of Lent. The Easter Triduum, consisting of Maundy or Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday bring christians to the highest point in the church year, Easter. Holy Week is also referred to as the Passion or Paschal celebration. Here are free printable crafts for families. Read more at Free Printable Holy Week Activities

Everyone, Catholic or Not, Should Fast for Lent

Mardi Gras is a Catholic festival season that culminates on Fat Tuesday and takes the faithful into Ash Wednesday and the penitential season of Lent, explains the Washington Post. Everyone, Catholic or not, should quit feasting on Fat Tuesday and fast for Lent. Are you thinking, how dare she push her religion on me? Don't worry, I'm not suggesting everyone should have to fast. I'm just sharing from personal experience how beneficial a Lenten fast can be. Read more at Everyone, Catholic or Not, Should Fast for Lent 

Don't Know What to Give Up for Lent? Try Meat or Junk Food

Still haven't decided what to give up this Lent? A group of Anglican bishops in the UK suggest abstaining from meat for the 40-day Lenten period, says the Huffington Post. I agree that meat is the best thing to give up, but I'd also add sweets, junk food and fast food. Here's why. On Fat Tuesday, also called Shrove Tuesday, says the Christian Science Monitor, people traditionally purged their homes of sweets and meats to fast without temptation. Lent fasts are not just about avoiding temptation and "giving up things," however. We fast to be one with those who suffer, but fasting is about health, too. Read more at Don't Know What to Give Up for Lent? Try Meat or Junk Food

The Lenten Kitchen: Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes

During lent, much of the world practices fasting. Whether we choose a physical fast, such as food or drink or a spiritual fast, such as refraining from gossip or internet use, our goal is improved spiritual health and closeness with our Heavenly Father.

Most Catholic individuals and households observe some sort of Lenten food fast. In the old church, Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday was known as Shrove Tuesday. All sweeteners, dairy products, oil and eggs were used up and made into pancakes and during lent, not only was no meat eaten, but also no dairy products. The closest diet to this kind of fasting is a vegan diet, except that the vegan eats no fish. Read more at Vegan, Vegetarian Lent Recipes

Free Printable Bible Coloring Page Activities

Teaching VBS- Vacation Bible School this summer? Or maybe your gearing up for Sunday School, Christian school, Hebrew school or homeschool in the fall? Here are free printable Bible story, old and new testament coloring pages. These Bible story coloring pages come from the old and new testament and are great devotions lessons. Use for Stations of the Cross, Lent, Holy Week and Easter. Read more

Stations of the Cross Devotional Art Project with free printable Stations of the Cross coloring pages

Holy or Maundy Thursday marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum: the final three days of Holy Week which begins on Palm Sunday. Here is a Stations of the Cross art and devotional activity to use for Lent, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday or Easter. Read on...

Lenten Candle Holder Craft for Catholic Families

We are a Catholic family that homeschooled our four children for ten years. In my ongoing quest to bring religious truths home to my family and myself and to make learning experiences more meaningful and permanent, I avidly collected any and all devotional craft projects. My goal was not just to find coloring or paper craft but real 3-D materials that would take our understanding of faith deeper. Here's a lenten candle holder craft to make for Ash Wednesday on your family altar. Read more

Free Printable Ash Wednesday and Lent Activities

Lent begins with the Imposition of the Ashes on Ash Wednesday which falls on February 13, 2013 on the western calendar. Lent begins a 40 day journey of fasting, acts of mercy and spiritual pilgrimage. We try to live, in our poor humble human way, in solidarity with Our Lord as he fasted in the desert for 40 days and made his final pilgrimage to Jerusalem. A Roman cross, torture and crucifixion awaited Him. But so did the glory of Easter, the Resurrection. Lent is a season for intense and deep personal and spiritual reflection. Here are free lessons plans and activities for families, homeschoolers and Catholics. Read more

Free Printable Lenten and Liturgical Calendars

Our Lenten journey in the Catholic church begins on Ash Wednesday and follows Jesus Christ for forty days of suffering in the desert, up to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum. Here are free printable Lenten calendars to help your experience of Lent. Read more