The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-24
THE BEGINNING OF LENT
Customs lnauguraiing the Peniten.
tial Season
The Carnival of Southern Chimes
The New Orleans Mardi Gras-CrueI
and Bnrbarous sports of England
in the Oiden Time-The Cock Re-
sarded ms the First Penitent.

The past week inaugurated the solemn
season OF Lent a term supposed by many
TO be derived from the Saxoa word Leng-
tentide. meaning spring.
II is the custom in some European coun-
tries and among the descendants of the
French settlers in Louisiana to celebrate
the temporary extinction of worldly gave
ties by general and brilliant revel In
which mirth and merry making is the or
der of the occasion. This usually takes
the form Of the carnival. that OF Rome be-
ing the most famous. This festival so,
characteristic in its graceful and innocent
jollity. OF the people among whom it is
perpetuated and so foreign from the more
barbarous modes of relaxation practieed
in more northern chimes, ceases upon the
stroke of the bell announcing the pres
ence of the penitential time.
The French Mardi Gras was transplant
ed into our own French colonies and IS
one Of the distinctive features of New Or
leans. Yearly hundreds of Northern peo-
pie make their pilgrimage to that quaint
city OF the South to view the extrayagant
and beautiful reveIs which have reigned
| there since 1927. In 1857 the Mistik Crewe
! of Comus was formed. which added much
| to the attractions, and in 1872 the king of
| the carnival was the first time appointed.
His authority is absolute for his few short
days of sovereignty.
The name carnival is thought to be de-
| rived from the words carni and vale that
signify farewell flesh.
| In France the carnival begins on Sun
| day. called Quinquagesima Sunday. fifty
| days before Easter. and lasts even into Ash
| Wednesday ITSELF when pompous mock
| ceremony is performed OF interring the
carnival. carrying in funeral state rude
| efigy of the carnival to its last resting
place. the grave.
In England and Scotland the festivities
are of ruder and oft-times crueler order
than those of the South.
On Monday. called COllop Monday the
people were used to gather up their fresh
meat. cut e into steaks and collops and
salt it for preserving until after Lent was
over.
On Tuesday the real fun began. Not
withstanGing that the day was supposed to
be devoted to the confession of sins for
which the Individual was shrived or
shrove. tine day was given over to fun and
frclic and feasting upon the immemorial
pancake or fritter. From the striving Of
sins the day obtained it's name Shrove
Tuesday. but it is known almost equally
well as Pancake Tuesday.
The first pancake cooked that day was
given to the greatest lie-a-bed of the par
ty. and usually fell to the lot of the dog.
for no one would admit his Iaziness By so
compromising act as eating the first
pancake.
The chief amusement of the common
people and schoolboys in days gone by was
cruel one of throwing at cocks" The
poor birds were trained previously to
dodge the missiles that were hurled at
them so that when tied by one foot at
the end of string they would futtnr and
dance and escape some of the blows. aimed
at them. receiving enough to wound and
mutilate, until az length after a weary
struggle some dextrous hand would put
them out of their misery. The one who
had killed the Geek would then claim il:
meantime the owner would have earned
a pretty penny from having charged
pence for three shots to each person who
made the attempt. A certain learned for
eigner, observing the practices of this
day. said: THE English eat a certain
cake on Shrove Tuesday. upon which they
Immediately run mad and kill their poor
cocks"
Another quite as intelligent pastiIne
among the country people was to tie
cock on the back of one of their number,
and also some bells. The rest of the tel
lows were blindfolded and chased the one
with the cock. threshing at him with
bunch OF twigs or branch. Some lively
scenes followed and in the end the poor,
much-abused fowl was killed and made
part Of the feast with the everlasting pam
cakes.
Sometimes hens we're thrown at in place
of the cocks. and a legend declares that
once a hen spoke up in her own defence
gainst the astonished man who was Ie-
laboriug her Her words were touching.
and were intended to put stop to the in
human practice
Another variation of this sport was to
place cock in al earthen crock. from
which only his head and tail feathers pro-
fruded The crock was then suspended
from twelve to fourteen feet above the
street. and the one who succeeded in aim
ing so well as to break the crock and lib
crate the bird obtained the latter for his
prize
Cock fighting was also an import ant
feature of the day. and this especially
among the school boys, which sport was
looked upon with approval In the court
Of Henry VIII cock fighting and throw
ing at cocks were legitimate amusementS
On this day.
At Westminster school the pancake
CEREMONY was particularly observed At
II o'clock the verger of the abbey in his
gown. bearing silver baton. preceded
,ook in his white apron. jacket. and cap.
,arrying n pancake. At the schoolroom
he procession stopped and the cook an
himself. Then he advanced to
he bar directly between the boys of the
over and of the upper schools, with his
in his pan. Then he tossed the
pancake among the upper boys who
scramble for IL. He who succeeded in
ARRIVING it unbroken to the deanery, de-
handed his prize of guinea, in some
asses two guineas and the cook also re-
eived two guineas for bis part in the
performance
In scone. near Perth. in Scotland foot
all was the diversion a game played be-
wcen the married men and the bachelors,
nd so rough did the sport become that
he pruverb came from 1t that a is fair
( the ba' O. Scone.'
Snowballing was another pastime when
now was to be had and in $40 was in
reduced into Norwich by John GladIlau.
that is groups OF masked
nd disguised people at which time IN
suaI license was the order of the day.
The apprentices found this Shrove Tues
ay their great holiday. and used it I'M
for audacious frolics and
rollery.
Wednesday usually put a qUietus on
,ese merry kings. and the members OF
10 Catholic Church were marked with
;hes upon the forehead to remind them
,at they we're but ashes and to dust must
lev return. The consccrated ashes used
this time were those made from the
Inns used on the Palm Sunday the year
fore.
\ Crncker-Jack.
,From the SILT Lake Trbune)
er-f