Lent: The countdown begins

Pre-Lent begins tomorrow. Starting today there is no fasting until Wednesday March 6th. On a related note I observe that for the first time I can remember the feast of St. Patrick is not in the middle of Great Lent falling instead on Forgiveness Sunday (the Sunday of Cheesefare). And due to the extraordinarily late Easter this year, the Apostles Fast will be extremely short for those on the traditional calendar and nonexistent for those on the reformed calendar.