On penitence

In medieval Christianity, the seasons of Lent and Advent were "penitential seasons", during which dancing, eating meat, and certain joyful and uplifting parts of the Mass were forbidden. They represented a sober spiritual preparation for the joyful and uplifting Easter and Christmas respectively. After the penitence and the joy, people officially went back to "ordinary time" the day after Easter or Christmas.

Today, we've reversed things. The months of November and December are an orgy of consumption, music, and visual spectacle. The penitential season begins with New Year's Day: get rid of the Christmas cookies, join a health club, put away the tree and the lights, balance the household budget, fill out your tax forms, wear sensible clothes. This penitential season has no clear endpoint: it sorta fades out over several weeks or months as people get tired of frugality and self-discipline.

I'm sure I'm not the first person to make this observation....