Septuagesima for Dummies

Well, let's talk about the word "Septuagesima"! This is a special word that comes from Latin, and it's used to describe a time in the Christian calendar. Have you ever heard of the Christian calendar before?

No worries if you haven't! The Christian calendar is a way that Christians mark important events and times in the year. Just like how we have different seasons, the Christian calendar has different seasons too. And "Septuagesima" is actually one of those seasons.

Now, here comes the fun part! Let's imagine that the Christian calendar is like a storybook with different chapters. Each chapter is a different season, and "Septuagesima" is the beginning of a very special chapter. Wondering what this chapter is all about? Well, it's a time when Christians prepare and get ready for an important event called Lent. Think of it like getting ready for a big vacation or a special celebration. You might need some time to prepare, right?

So during "Septuagesima", Christians start thinking about what they want to do during Lent. They might want to give something up or do something special to show their love and devotion to God. It's a time for reflection and getting things in order, just like how we might clean our room before a special visitor comes over.

Now, here's where it can get a little tricky. "Septuagesima" actually has another meaning that's related to numbers. Do you like numbers? Great! This will be like a little math lesson for us!

The word "Septuagesima" actually comes from a Latin word which means "seventieth" in English. But wait, why is it called "seventieth" if it's not really the seventieth day of something? Well, it's because "Septuagesima" is about seventy days before Easter. Easter is a very important event for Christians, so they start counting from "Septuagesima" to Easter, and it's like a countdown to the big day.

Let's picture this countdown as a journey. Imagine you're going on a long trip and you have a big calendar with all the days marked out. You start at "Septuagesima" and every day that passes, you get closer and closer to Easter. It's like walking along a path, step by step, until you finally reach your destination and celebrate.

So, my friend, "Septuagesima" is a special word that represents a season in the Christian calendar where Christians take time to prepare for Lent and also marks the start of a countdown to Easter. It's like opening up a new chapter in a storybook, getting ready for a big vacation, cleaning your room before a special visitor, and going on a journey all rolled into one! Isn't that exciting?