Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, sync up in 2024
Our best advice: Avoid February. It's a traffic jam.
What else would you call a month where Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday occur, this year, on the same day — Feb. 14?
And both are, meanwhile, in close proximity to Mardi Gras (Feb. 13) and President's Day (Feb. 19)
Great Scott! A four-holiday pileup!
This year's double-booking of Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday — Val-LENT-tines Day, let's call it — is the kind of scheduling mistake no event planner would be allowed to make.
But the Gregorian calendar answers to no one. All this stuff was worked out years ago — by minds greater than ours.
When is Ash Wednesday?
Valentine's Day is, of course, always Feb. 14. But Ash Wednesday, Mardi Gras and President's Day are so-called moveable feasts.
Ash Wednesday, for instance, always occurs 46 days before Easter. But because Easter (March 31) changes dates from year to year — it's always the Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox — Ash Wednesday changes too.
When is Fat Tuesday?
And Mardi Gras — also known as Fat Tuesday — as we know, is dependent on Ash Wednesday. It's always the Tuesday before.
As for President's Day — this amalgam of Lincoln and Washington's birthday is always the third Monday in February. Has been, ever since the 1971 enactment of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. And for the very excellent reason that it allows us a long weekend.
When does Lent start?
But when they all happen within seven days, it's a cluster-bomb. Especially, this mashup of Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday, which last happened in 2018 (for good measure, Easter and April Fool's were — that year — on the same day too).
Consider.
If you're giving up candy for Lent, can you make an exception for that heart-shaped chocolate box?
Does a romantic evening with your sweetie involve the both of you abstaining from eating dinner at a fancy restaurant?
Dining out: 6 hidden gem North Jersey restaurants to dine at this Valentine's Day
But after all, maybe it's best not to look a gift holiday in the mouth.
After all, February is the dreariest — even if it is the shortest — month (on this Leap Year, it's one day longer). There are worse things than having a holiday to lighten it up. Or even two holidays, for the price of one.
What worse things? Well, consider all the other holidays you should be celebrating, on those same days.
Drowning in holidays
Blame The National Day Calendar. They're a North Dakota company that will put any kooky commemoration into the day-minder — for a price. Thanks mostly to them, every day is now special.
On Feb. 13, for instance — Mardi Gras — you could also be celebrating National Cheddar Day, National Tortellini Day, Galentine's Day (it celebrates female friendship), Self-Love Day, and Kiss Day. Also — though we're sorry to say it — National Apology Day.
On Feb 14, Ash Wednesday-slash-Valentine's Day, you could also break out the champagne for International Book Giving Day, National Call in Single Day, National Cream-filled Chocolates Day, National Ferris Wheel Day, National Donor Day, Organ Donor Day, and Read to Your Child Day.
And on President's Day, Feb. 19, let's not forget about National Chocolate Mint Day and National Vet Girls Rock Day.
In short, this February, don't make any plans. Your calendar is full.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday fall on the same day in 2024
