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Day FORTY-FOUR of Presidential recovery

Today is Shrove Tuesday, the day immediately preceding Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent in Western Christian churches.

Shrove, derived from shrive, refers to the confession of sins as a preparation for Lent. Although the day is still used for self-examination and introspection, Shrove Tuesday eventually acquired the character of a carnival or festival in many places and is often celebrated with parades.

Also known as Mardi Gras which is French for “Fat Tuesday”, it is the last day of consuming rich, fatty foods in preparation for the Christian fasting season of Lent, during which such foods are avoided.

Some traditions, such as the one in New Orleans, Louisiana, consider Mardi Gras to stretch the entire period from Twelfth Night to Ash Wednesday. Others treat the final three-day period before Ash Wednesday as the Mardi Gras.

Day FORTY-THREE of Presidential recovery.

National Anthem Day on March 3 observes the songs that nations around the world have adopted and chosen to represent their national identity. For America, that song is “The Star-Spangled Banner” and has a rich history.

An American lawyer and poet, Francis Scott Key, was on a mercy mission for the release of Dr. William Beanes, a prisoner of the British. Key showed the British letters from wounded British officers praising the care they received from Dr. Beanes. The British agreed to release Beanes, but Key and Beanes were forced to stay with the British until the attack on Baltimore was over. Key watched the proceedings from a truce ship in the Patapsco River. On the morning of the 14th, Key saw the American flag waving above Fort McHenry. Inspired, he began jotting down verses on the back of a letter he was carrying. When Key reached Baltimore, his poem, titled “Defence of Fort McHenry”. was printed on pamphlets by the Baltimore American.

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Day FORTY-TWO of Presidential recovery.