In Mexico, married men are officially granted one day of liberty from their obligations on what’s called El Dia del Marido Oprimido—the day of the oppressed husband. On the eve of Lent, even the sternest Anglo-Saxon churchgoers are in a forgiving mood. They call it Shrove Tuesday, derived from the verb shrive, which means “to receive absolution for sins.” It’s all rather confusing from a theological standpoint.
