This week was a significant one on the Catholic liturgical calendar. On Tuesday we celebrated Shrove Tuesday (also known as “Carnevale”).  This means “goodbye to meat” and the removal of all flour, sugar and eggs from the kitchen. People in villages and towns would cook up a feast with the ingredients, adding to a festival and party feel. The children enjoyed eating their pancakes on Tuesday.

On Wednesday we celebrated Ash Wednesday. The leaves used on Palm Sunday (the year before) are burnt on Shrove Tuesday and brought to Mass to be blessed by the priest by sprinkling them with Holy Water. They are then distributed to the people just after the Gospel. As he makes a ‘Sign of the Cross’ on the forehead the priest says: “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.” He may also say: “Remember you are but dust and to dust you shall return.” This is a timely reminder to prepare ourselves for Lent (a season of 40 days where Catholics prepare themselves spiritually for Easter) which starts on Ash Wednesday. The children were very reverent sitting through the Mass.

In Science we have been learning about living versus non living things.  the children planted some grass seeds in their own cups which we will continue to look after and observe over the next few weeks.