What does lent actually mean?

WalkingGirl1985

Sorry guys, may seem silly..but how long does "lent" last? What did you give up? How long? My thing would be giving up coffee..but worry about serious withdrawls since im hooked..i know it would help my health and the added creamer and sweetner doesnt help matters.

ajbeans

Lent lasts from Ash Wednesday (yesterday) until Easter. 40 days, not counting Sundays. It's a time of sacrifice and self-denial, meant to bring us closer to God through replicating in some small part the suffering of Christ. Traditionally it's been observed through fasting, but in modern times people have generalized "fasting" to mean abstaining from a behavior as well as abstaining from food, and while the word "fasting" can only really refer to food, it's an accepted practice to give up a certain behavior in lieu of actual fasting.

clmunjoy

Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, which was this past Wednesday, March 9, and it continues until Easter Sunday. I personally gave up pop. I don't drink coffee, but I LOVE Diet Coke. So I decided that I needed to give that up, to try to break my addiction to it!

rileysowner

Lent started this past Wednesday (March 9th Ash Wednesday) and ends on Easter. It is a time of contemplation on Jesus Christ and what he has done in his suffering and death for sinners. It ends on Easter because that is when Christians celebrate his resurrection from the dead.

AsaThorsWoman

Time to clean the dryer filter.

nomoremuffintop42

i gave up facebook..figuring i could do without 40 days of gossiup......I made it through day one...that's a good thing looking forward to the next 39 days:)

carmelasergi

Great explanation, ajbeans. :flowerforyou:

licha75

I encourage my students instead of giving something up, to give something in return. God doesn't want people to suffer, God is about Love. So I tell them to pick something that will bring happiness not only to themselves but to others, like give at least one compliment to someone a day, a good deed, help someone out......

aimdawson

The previous replies were right on the mark. My lenten sacrifice actually brought me here. I originally was going to give up the normal stuff - sweets and snacking- but really that is just for me and not God. Our priest said that you need to replace what you give up with something that will bring you closer to God. If you give up Starbucks then the money you usually spend there should be donated to a charity or something similar. I decided that in conjunction with giving up sweets and snacking for every pound I lose I'd donate $10 to my church. It seems a little superficial but it'll keep me motivated and they really need the money.

auntiebabs

I'd always remembered that when I was a girl in catholic school the nuns said that it just wasn't about "giving up" something for Lent, but that we should also consider "doing something good"

One year when I was in my Mid-20s I didn't "give up" anything for Lent. I tried to do a good deed for a stranger everyday during lent. That was much harder than I'd expected.

But I really liked knowing that my "sacrifice" benefited someone else.

MeliciousMelis

My family and I observe lent, with a few exceptions. We do not give anything up, and instead take something on. One year, it was spending time every weekend and making little crafts that we donated to a senior citizens home. Another year it was carving out specific family time each night...that included giving up TV. (Super challenging, but worth it).

We aim to take something on which either helps us appreciate our blessings or give more to others. Increased relationship with God-- giving something up, and using that sacrifice to deepen your faith, is the goal.

KadieA

Isn't Lent a religious, Catholic thing? I'm wondering why everyone is doing it even if they aren't religious/Catholic.
My ex roommate is not religious and she had an FB update status that said she was going to give up soda for lent. I asked her if she was Catholic....

Instead of saying you want to give something up for Lent decide to just give something up because you know it's unhealthy or that it's taking up too much of your time or for whatever reason. Not because of something religious that happens ones a year and that is something one is supposed to do according to their religious beliefs.

And for the record, I am a Christian, I don't judge at all. But I believe if you are doing something like this, you should do it with full understanding of what you are doing and not because it is a fad.

Good luck with what you want to give up! I've tried giving up facebook and that didn't last too long and having a cellphone with the app doesn't help either lol.

Once again, good luck and only give something up because its what you want to do

p.s. I also hope some people were able to clarify for you. I am not Catholic so I can't help you with that.

ajbeans

Kadie, it's not just a Catholic thing. I'm Lutheran and we observe Lent. I'm not sure about other denominations, but it wouldn't surprise me if there are others that also observe it. I'm with you though, if you're not practicing it for religious reasons, I don't really understand why someone would tag along for Lent. I don't mind if people do, I just don't see the point.

EDIT: I especially don't see the point since you're not really supposed to talk about your sacrifice. It's supposed to be between you and God. It's not something you're supposed to be plastering all over Facebook and whatever, because that kind of defeats the purpose of a fast. It's supposed to teach humility, not feed into our need for the approval of others.

alazarus

People who celebrate Lent (such as myself) don't eat meat on Fridays or Ash Wednesday from Ash Wednesday to Easter. On those days you're supposed to be fasting, which generally means eating only one full meal and two smaller meals on those days. (Of course, there are different expectations for people if they're kids, aged, sick, etc.)

If you're a hardcore Byzantine Catholic (like I was raised), then you can up the bar and avoid eating all meat, dairy, and animal by-products, like butter, eggs, mayonnaise, milk, etc.

However, most religious people celebrating Lent would say that you shouldn't look at Lent as an opportunity to lose weight; rather, it's about making a conscious sacrifice for spiritual (not physical) gain.

WalkingGirl1985

I do strongly believe in God, and the lord Jesus Christ. I haven't lost my faith. I have never done lent before. I don't think i have the strength to give up meat, favorite foods..or whatever. It's hard enough having to watch my diet and cutting back on things as it is for healthier choices.