The Octagon Parish

One People One Parish One Voice


    Prayer for those visiting our website

    Almighty and eternal God,

    who created us in your own image and gave us the will to seek after all that is good, true and beautiful, especially in the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ,

    we give you thanks for the freedom of communication.

    Grant, we pray you, that through our journeys in this website we may be led to charity, prayer, patience and greater understanding of each other

    and that we may discern more closely, your will for your pilgrims here on earth.

    To the glory of the Word made Flesh.

    Amen.

    Pre-Lenten festivals

    In the lead up to Lent, we explore other festival around the world.

    Main articles: Carnival, Mardi Gras, Swabian-Alemannic-Fastnacht, Maslenitsa, Pancake Day, and Baklahorani
    Lent personified at a Carnival celebration. Detail of 1559 painting "The Battle between Carnival and Lent" by Pieter Bruegel the Elder
    Pile of straw with a fir tree and a "witch" doll attached to it, for the traditional "Funken" bonfire on the First Sunday of Lent in Herdwangen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
    The "Funken" set ablaze

    The traditional carnival celebrations which precede Lent in many cultures have become associated with the season of fasting if only because they are a last opportunity for excess before Lent begins. The most famous pre-Lenten carnival in the world is celebrated in Rio de Janeiro; other famous Carnivals are held in Trinidad & Tobago, Venice, Cologne, Mobile, AL and New Orleans. It is known by the name Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday.