Monday, February 20, 2006

Quinquagesima

...or how Microsoft Outlook reminds a protestant of Lent.

My caring employer still urges me to use Microsoft Outlook. One of the compelling features of this tool is that certain holidays are predefined. This morning, I discovered an entry set on next Saturday called Quinquagesima Sunday (Switzerland). Although, I was born and raised in Switzerland, I've never heard of a holiday called Quinquagesima. But thanks to the Reformed Church of Zürich and Wikipedia, I've got enlightened.

Obviously, Quinquagesima is not quite legal, because the Second Vatican Council included the elimination of this term for this Sunday such as for Sexagesimae and Septuagesimae. The names mean fiftieth, sixtieth and seventieth. They denote the approximate number of days between each and Easter. Or, because it's easier to count, the last three Sundays before Lent.

But I still don't know why Outlook puts a Sunday on a Saturday. Maybe, it is because there are only 49 days between Quinquagesima and Easter, when celebrated on a Sunday. Accurateness seems more important that religious tradition, nowadays.

2 comments:

Ms Mac said...

You mean you never had to "give anything up for lent"?

That's how I became a black tea drinker. One year I gave up sugar in my tea, the next I gave up milk. Of course, the point of it is to sacrifice something you love and then the money you save you give to the poor or something. It never seemed to work that way in our house, I just ate more chocolate to make up for the sugar deprivation.

I'm never getting into heaven, am I?

Mr. Urs said...

Pope Calixtus III allowed the Eidgenossen in 1456 to consume milk during Lent. At least, you won't get any hassle for the milk in your tea and chocolate.