In Europe, Lent was a time for a meat-and-dairy fast, and, like our Jewish ancestors who cleared out all the leaven before Passover and the making of UNleavened bread, so Christians went through the cupboards on the day before Lent began, and threw a party with the food that would not be eaten during Lent. (Even the name ???carnivale??? comes from the Latin ???goodbye, meat!???)