In the Orthodox Christian Church, today begins the Season of the Triodion, the period leading up to Lent. The Triodion is the primary hymnbook of Orthodox Lent. More about this season can be found here. As that site indicates, the usual Wednesday and Friday fasts are suspended for this week. That's because the first Sunday of this season---this year it's February 1st!---is the Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican. The Pharisee had become proud of his twice-a-week fasting and his other observances, and so abstaining from fasts reminds us that we must be humble in all things and not let our observance make us look to our own efforts in our faith. (http://www.saintsophiadc.com/2015/01/humility-sunday-tax-collector-pharisee/) All of the Triodion season focuses upon humility and the avoidance of hypocrisy.
Today is Septuagesima Sunday, a day no longer included in the Roman Catholic and most Anglican calendars. Septuagesima is the third Sunday before Ash Wednesday (February 18th this year.) Although the day is 63 days from Easter, the word means "seventy." Thus, the 9th century liturgist Amalarius of Metz wrote that Septuagesima can mystically represent the 70-year Babylonian Captivity.
(From the 2015 Diversity Awareness Partnership interfaith calendar---see dapstl.org for more information---and various online sources.)
It's not a religious holiday, but my grandmother, Grace (Pilcher) Crawford of Brownstown, IL, was born on this day in 1890. She was a tremendous early influence on my religious life and my interests in religion.
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