It's Totally Cool To Eat This Rodent During Lent
The special time of year is upon us, when ash-marked masses clear their cupboards of sweets, alcohol, and whatever indulgences they've decided to give up for the weeks of Lent. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the event for Catholics which runs for 6 weeks, leading up to their Easter — Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter a few days later, so their event starts later as well (via EuroNews). While Catholics, Anglicans, Orthodox, and many other sects of Christianity all mark the season of fasting and intensive prayer differently, a few things remain consistent: Lent is a time to repent and reflect and skip out on indulgences, such as meat.
It is meant to honor the period of 40 days that Jesus Christ is said to have spent fasting in the desert, says BBC. While meat is not meant to be eaten often throughout the period (the specifics of when to abstain varies from each sect), disciples are given the go-ahead to enjoy fish and other cold-blooded, non-land-living animals. But The Vatican has offered a few exceptions even to that rule. So take comfort carnivores! This lent, you can still indulge in one South American giant rodent.
The Capybara Pardadox
While rodents are objectively warm-blooded mammals, the South American native capybara isn't exactly a land animal. They are semi-aquatic critters with slightly webbed feet — seem like a stretch? The Vatican didn't think so! Venezuelan clergy members petitioned The Vatican between the 16th and 18th centuries (via Atlas Obscura), asking them if they could categorize capybaras as fish during the weeks of Lent. And so the world's largest rodent became a fish.
This logic-defying classification doesn't stop there! Scientific American reports that the beaver is also okayed for Lenten mealtimes, which the Catholic church okayed in the 17th century for European colonizers. So instead of the usual grilled fish on a Friday night of Lent, perhaps the capybara or beaver should make an appearance at your dining room table. We are curious to know if a cow standing in a puddle will also eventually be given the green light — only time will tell.