Half Lent, Half Hedonism

For the first time in quite a while, Ash Wednesday and Valentine's day were on the same day. As Catholics went to church to receive a cross of ash on their foreheads, lovers fawned over each other and the single folks pouted. The non-celebrators of V-day again made their voices heard that they don't need any gifts( even though secretly want at least something) and men and women failed to realize the cash from the clutches of their wallets to pay the heightened prices associated with the affections of V-day. For others, it was just a welcomed day to not be at work and do as you please.  

The focus of this post is on Lent, however.

Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent  means "spring." The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, in preparation to begin his ministry. Lent is a time of repentance, fasting, and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves to others. 

You may have been asked before, "what are you giving up for Lent?" But before we discuss lent in some details lets talk about the crux of the discussion linking Lent to the economy which is people.

Economics is about people. It cannot be reduced to numbers, formulae, and analyses. “The subject matter of economics represents the habits, customs, and ways of thinking of producers, consumers, buyers, sellers, borrowers, lenders, and all who engage in economic transactions.” That means our moral habits can have a definite effect on determining the state of our economy. 

Jamaica not being a predominantly Catholic society but a Protestant society has seen where Christianity and Hedonism coexist in a very unceremonious way. The beginning of the Holy Season (Lent) is also the beginning of the carnival season in Jamaica. The season sees both an increase in the sale of Seafood as it does carnival costumes, party tickets, and alcohol. This shows that while Christians are trying to curb their indulgencies revelers are doing the opposite by indulging or overindulging.  In other words, while one set of people save another set of people are spending. 

The Economist puts it as you can save as much as 780 USD in Dublin, Ireland to a low of 230USD in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Revelers in Jamaica can spend from a high of $3000/$4000USD (visitors) for a full Ja Carnival experience to a low of around $300 USD attending only a few parties. 

From a purely economic standpoint, we have a win-win... Morality stays high among the church populous as they refuse the desire to indulge while the indulgence of carnival brings much need revenues into the economy.

Persons talk about how much carnival in Jamaica costs but it is a demand premium driven market. Once the tickets are priced, people attend, they will find the money!

Carnival in Jamaica has the potential to boost the economy significantly if we "fly the proverbial gate and let in the Pirates of Caribbean."  Although carnival is not a Jamaican festival originally it has morphed into a staple on the international carnival circuit. Now I'm not saying lock down the country for days but think about the revenues. 

The culture minister put is this way everybody benefits,  “The peanut vendor, the private-sector companies, sponsored bands, the alcoholic beverage companies, the Jamaican costume designers, make-up artists, disc jockeys, as well as persons selling Jamaican foods, will all get a share in the pie.” 

The season also boosts sales in seafood as many people give up eating meat for lent,  giving rise to opportunities for growth in revenues for fishermen and wholesalers as well as retailers of seafood. 

When you think about at its core the celebration of Lent and Carnival are here to stay as both help boost our moral compasses as well as our pockets and waistlines.