Some questions have been raised this year about the fact that Ash Wednesday coincides with Valentine’s Day (February 14th) ... what does this mean in terms of school observances?
Because of its central importance in the Church calendar (as the beginning of the Lenten season), Ash Wednesday takes precedence over Valentine’s Day this year, meaning that we won’t be celebrating Valentine’s Day as we normally might (at least not on February 14th!). However, we are celebrating Valentine's Day one day earlier, on Shrove
Tuesday/Mardi Gras. This is an ideal date to transfer some of the Valentine’s Day festivities that would normally occur the following day. I think that this is a creative way to make sure that we can observe both days, while also keeping AshWednesday clear of conflicting celebrations (especially those involving candy or food, since it is a day of fasting and abstinence for Catholics). If you are sending in treats, please send your treats in on February 13th!