February 2009 
February 24, Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras) : Christian.
Shrove Tuesday—Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday in French—marks the final midwinter fling before Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten fast. Traditionally, believers confessed and were absolved (shrived) of their sins before the fast, then they consumed the last of luxuries such as dairy foods and meat. In England and France people now use milk and eggs to make the traditional pancakes. In Finland, the Shrove Tuesday specialty is a bun filled with almond paste and whipped cream. In many Roman Catholic countries Shrove Tuesday is the culminating day of Carnival—a word deriving from the Latin words carne vale, "farewell to meat." Carnival parades and balls with masked dancers and costumed figures from popular myth are the annual highlight in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Venice, Italy, and New Orleans in the United States as well as many other Mediterranean, South American and Caribbean cities. english pancakes are also a popular dish.
February 25, Wednesday, Ash Wednesday (beginning of Lent) : Christian.
FOOD AND DRINK
From the Middle Ages salt cod was a winter staple, especially for Lent and fast days, when meat, eggs, and milk products were both hard to get and forbidden by the Church. But cooks in the Catholic countries of Europe turned hardship to blessing by inventing literally hundreds of ways to cook it. In France there are more recipes for salt cod than for any other single fish. Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal and the countries of South America and the Caribbean also have a myriad of salt cod dishes, now often served throughout the year.
Classics include:
Brandade de morue
—salt cod pureed with milk and olive oil (France)
Bacalao a la Vizcaina
—salt cod with dried peppers, tomatoes and cayenne (Basque region of Spain)
Bacalao al Pil
—garlic and pepper-flavored salt cod (Spain)
Salt Fish in Chemise
—salt cod cooked with tomatoes and onions and topped with eggs (Caribbean)
Baccala alla Livornese
—salt cod stewed in tomato sauce (Italy)
Taramasalata
—salted cod roe pureed with lemon juice and olive oil (Greece)
—salt cod with fried potatoes, onions and eggs. (Portugal)
(See recipes for Italian Salted Cod Croquettes and Kwarezimal.)