Lent is this Wednesday March 5th

JoanneC1216

Is anyone going to use this time to try and add something good or give up a bad habit? Two years in a row I gave up no sweets and no alcohol, wasn't easy but I did it.

Not so sure what I want to do this year. Maybe something with fitness

Zekela

I gave up chocolate back in high school and it was such a horrible experience. At least I don't eat meat on Fridays... I am a vegetarian :-)

JoanneC1216

I gave up chocolate back in high school and it was such a horrible experience. At least I don't eat meat on Fridays... I am a vegetarian :-)

So basically, you never eat meat :happy:

I had a good experience but I just went back to my old habits, that's why I am looking to do something fitness related.

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SaebraSpirit

Every day is lent for me haha XD
Only natural foods for me nothing processed!

Although I could give up coffee...thats one thing I am bad about :P

Newnameishardtofind

Has to be chocolate!

rowlandsw

I remember working in my dad's home town during lent at an italian place and it was packed the entire time as everyone would go for luncheons. I think most of them gave up red meat as we were selling seafood left and right. The churches used to host luncheons but it seems to be a lost art like the church bazaar now that all the older folks are gone.

Mello_Rello

I suppose I'll give up alcohol...need to stop drinking anyhow.

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Mr_Bad_Example

I gave up giving things up.

Worked like a charm.

PhearlessPhreaks

Seriously contemplating giving up Facebook. Or instead of "giving up" something tangible or temporal, I've thought about a daily devotion... not sure yet.

_John_

Every day is lent for me haha XD
Only natural foods for me nothing processed!

Although I could give up coffee...thats one thing I am bad about :P

you could give up being smug...

kbmnurse

Nope.

TwinMamma09

I gave up Alcohol last year and it was a good experience. In 2014 I have hardly drank so I that won't be a big sacrifice this year. I don't know what to give up this year. Chocolate sounds impossible at this point.

3P0X

PhearlessPhreaks

I remember working in my dad's home town during lent at an italian place and it was packed the entire time as everyone would go for luncheons. I think most of them gave up red meat as we were selling seafood left and right. The churches used to host luncheons but it seems to be a lost art like the church bazaar now that all the older folks are gone.

Back in the day (before and even for a while after Vatican 2) Catholics gave up red meat for the entirety of Lent, not just Friday. And you'll find a lot of older Catholics (who grew up and came of age before V2) still adhere to that tradition.

TLwineguzzler

As long as I've only got to give it up for Wednesday, I might consider wine :drinker:

LKW59

How long is lent?

wannaBrunnner81

Since im not a very good Catholic, i decided that instead of giving something up i was going to try something different. This year i will be spending a minimum of 10 minutes a day in prayer or meditation as a way of attempting to center myself. It may not seem that big but for me its going to be just as difficult as giving up cookies or beer or cheese.

PhearlessPhreaks

How long is lent?

Begins 3/5 and ends 4/17; 44 days.

salembambi

I am not even sure what Lent is

sullrico18

Facebook and fast food! Trying to better my mental health and physical health. :-)

LKW59

I am not even sure what Lent is

I think it's a catholic thing? My mom goes to church on ask Wednesday but she doesn't give up anything for lent. She's Lutheran

fitgirlandfoodie

I'm going veggy for Lent. It's been a few years since I've done it but looking forward to it now. I wrote a blog a yesterday about the excessive consumption of food in today's developed world and it made me think about the benefits of fasting. By that I mean, bringing home the reality of other's daily lives and a physical cleanse (and no I don't go in for detox''s or clenses in the fitness business sense)
Maybe it's because I've been more reading into historical religious fasting or because I remember it from my youth..but I'm willing to give it a go..It can't be bad to give myself a challenge of my will

Denjo060

I am giving up hard liquor (not wine though) I drink to damn much hard liquor on the weekends so thats gotta go. I am hoping to see a good weight loss in the 40 days. If I do lose i will continue with no hard liquor

loves86

I am giving up alcohol, smoking (I really only smoke when I drink, so those kinda go hand in hand) and fast food

da1128

My husband used to give up booze and sweets religiously for Lent, and in the process, he would always lose 30+ pounds. After you reach a certain age, at least in Catholicism, you are exempt from having to 'give up' anything. Needless to say, the hubs no longer loses those 30 pounds, but he does cut down and drops at least 10.

I am an irreverent Catholic and admittedly, a cheater. I ALWAYS give up venison. Never mind that I've never eaten it in my entire life.....and I never will. Dine on Bambi? Oh, hell to the NO!

So yes, I am a lousy, no good cheater, giving up something that I would never eat anyway. Rather comparative to giving up Cannibalism, I daresay.

Of course, this no doubt earns me another punch on my ticket to hell and since I'm not getting any younger, that ticket has fast become filled with punches.

Therefore, I must attempt to redeem myself and give up something I truly like. The answer came to me just this morning on angel wings. (Well, it was actually a white paper bakery bag with one cream filled Paczi and one Strawberry filled Paczi tucked inside, but if you squinted, that white bag 'did' resemble angel wings when nicely folded.)

I ate the cream filled delight. Decadent, rich, and oh so good, but one was more than enough. (Hubs ate the Strawberry one.)

Hence, I am ready to give up something I really like. Paczis. Not another one shall cross my lips during Lent. In fact, I will not eat another one until this day next year.

Yeah, yeah....what a cop out. I KNOW! I'm still a cheater. :bigsmile:

PhearlessPhreaks

I am not even sure what Lent is

I think it's a catholic thing? My mom goes to church on ask Wednesday but she doesn't give up anything for lent. She's Lutheran

It's Christian, although not all Christians recognize or 'celebrate' Lent in the same manner. Lent in the liturgical calendar represents the forty days Jesus spent in the desert. It is the season of pennance and contemplation before the celebration of Easter, and like Jesus' experience in the desert, it is a time to pull away from the pleasures of the material world; to pull back from the excesses of life in favor of reflection and prayer. Catholics and Episcopalians traditionally 'give up' something during this time, although giving up something material or tangible isn't strictly necessary- it's just what people first think of. One can 'give up' all sorts of things- last year, I make a conscious decision not to let bad/stupid/selfish (whatever you want to call it) drivers on the road get to me. It was hard, as my nature lends itself to honking the horn and flipping the bird... it was a challenge, which is exactly what Lent asks of us. And the whole no meat thing- it used to be for all of Lent, but now it's only on Ash Wednesday and Friday. I don't know about the myriad denominations within Christianity, but I do know the Catholic and Anglican churches typically advocate fasting on Fridays during Lent.

(There is one caveat: Sunday is not beholden to Lenten fastings, as every Sunday throughout the year is representative of Easter Sunday)

_errata_

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=lent

MA_B

Lent is the 40 days in the church's year leading up to Easter when the church remembers the days that Jesus spent in the wilderness before starting out on his ministry. The giving up idea seems to stem from the fact that the wilderness meant that he had to give up the normal everyday things; he was hungry, alone and having to take in the enormity of what he was about to do - hence the 3 temptations he faced. So Christians are encouraged to use this time to 'give up' something they will miss.

The other side of the coin is that Christians take a look at their life, so prayer and studying in inter-church Lent groups can renew a commitment to their own ministry.

Giving up material things, favourite foods, drinks etc, or 'timewasting' hobbies (egTV or fb) etc and replacing them with spiritually beneficial things is seen as being one way to 'do' Lent.

It also helps that it is a time-limited, helpful time of year ( at least in the N hemisphere when summer is approaching) to give up chocolate, alcohol etc which gives 40 days of abstinence - helpful in any pre-summer holiday weight loss campaign - whether it is related to any church's year or not! 40 days to Easter eggs (chocolate of course!). This is why it is such a popular time to start any 'giving up' campaign, for all - not just Christians!

Happy Shrove Tuesday everyone - hope you enjoyed your pancakes! And if you are giving something extra up for Lent - it is only 40 days - all the best with that!

_Tink_

I gave up alcohol and caffeine for the entire year last year. Good enough for me.