Are these "15 Days of August" a lenten period for the Roman Catholics? The "Little Italy" neighborhood in my area, surrounding the long time Roman Catholic Holy Rosary Church, celebrates "the Feast," as it's referred to in the local secular community, with a 4 day festival, 3 of which are before the feast day, and includes eating meat, and drinking alcohol, etc. Is this period considered a lenten period, perhaps more relaxed than the Lent before Easter? If not today, is there an older tradition that this period was a lenten period in the Roman Catholic Church?
Also, how about Advent? I thought I'd read that it is supposed to be a lenten period, more relaxed than Lent before Easter (contemplative, preparatory), but in practice, the lenten period is ignored.
Any knowledge of how the Roman Catholic Church treats or treated these periods?