Here's the latest article from the German Culture site at BellaOnline.com, which covers:
A Lent in Germany, Monks and a Maultaschen Recipe
It is no coincidence that Karneval, Mardi Gras, is celebrated before the arrival of Lent, enjoying life to its fullest for a short period before the start of a Fast is a tradition at any time of the year.
However in Germany the 40 days of fasting that followed Fasnacht, Shrove Tuesday, were never all about deprivation, by creating 'feel good foods', sometimes by 'bending' or 'reinterpreting' the rules, the monks made sure of that.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art18702.asp
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