Non-religious people and lent - Why?

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Alatariel75
Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
in Chit-Chat
Just curious, I've seen a lot of posts about lent where people say they aren't religious but have given something up for lent. I'm genuinely curious - Why? If you aren't religious, why observe Lent? I could see why if it was for... I don't know, a charity or something but yeah. Why?

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  • MaryPoppinsIAint
    MaryPoppinsIAint Posts: 157 Member
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    They may not be religious, but have a parent, child, spouse, or sibling who is, and may be doing it to be supportive or not make it more difficult than it has to be.
  • besaro
    besaro Posts: 1,858 Member
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    why not?
  • annbillingsley
    annbillingsley Posts: 60 Member
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    I am an atheist, but I didn't do anything for Lent, but it could be just the social pressure. why do a lot of us start exercising and eating healthy at the beginning of the year? because we are socially trained we should, even if we don't really believe it. personally, i say whatever works as an excuse to create a goal and work towards it. not to mention, it helps to have oodles of people going through deprivation right along with you :) lol
  • KathyC2364
    KathyC2364 Posts: 1
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    You do realize Christmas is also a religous holiday, right?
  • Umeboshi
    Umeboshi Posts: 1,637 Member
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    Maybe for fun, to test their self-control? A lot of people, religious or otherwise, observe holidays and customs that originated with a religion that may be different than their own.

    A lot of Christmas traditions originated with the pagan celebration of the winter solstice. Christians adopted those traditions and made them their own, and even non-religious people still celebrate Christmas, myself included.
    I also celebrate Easter, and Halloween (which also originated as a pagan holiday).
  • pamperedhen
    pamperedhen Posts: 446 Member
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    I think they do it because of tradition. ~shrugs
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
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    probably a tradition- just they they were raised. Sometimes traditions just really stick with us.
  • aguethler
    aguethler Posts: 26 Member
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    I am probably going to get stoned for this, but that is like saying why do non-religious people celebrate Christmas. Seriously I know a few people who are SUPER into Christmas but completely athiest (if they were pagan at least they could be celebrating the solstice). Seems odd to me that you would join in a celebration, especially if you are going all in, for something you don't agree with.


    edit: and clearly I should have looked further down the page to see that I was just repeating what other said.
  • corneredbycorn
    corneredbycorn Posts: 267 Member
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    ~40 days is a good time to make or break a habit

    ~Lent goes through the changing of the seasons, from winter to spring, which is kind of like a new beginning, a fresh start

    ~tons and tons of other people are doing it at the exact same time, which can help with support and accountability
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    You do realize Christmas is also a religous holiday, right?

    Well, obviously, but it's also jammed down our throats and has become far more than the religious holiday it was. We won't get into how it was a pagan holiday first either.

    I didn't post this to be a jerk, I'm genuinely curious with no other agenda.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    I am probably going to get stoned for this, but that is like saying why do non-religious people celebrate Christmas. Seriously I know a few people who are SUPER into Christmas but completely athiest (if they were pagan at least they could be celebrating the solstice). Seems odd to me that you would join in a celebration, especially if you are going all in, for something you don't agree with.


    edit: and clearly I should have looked further down the page to see that I was just repeating what other said.

    I've thought about this and it's like Opt-In vs Opt-Out. Christmas is sooo pervasive, if you don't do it you have to make an effort not to do it. Whereas something like Lent is something you need to Opt-In to - like really make an effort to be a part of it.
  • PMarie29
    PMarie29 Posts: 75
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    I was raised Catholic, but I don't really follow it now. I still observe Lent because it's a time in the year for me to check myself and what I am doing with my life - how much alcohol I consume, how much sugar I eat, how much fast food I'm eating, how much I'm working out. If I'm out of check in certain areas of my life, it's a good period of time to reflect on that and change those areas. It's a short period of time to turn things around.
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
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    I was raised Catholic but am now not religious. I always gave up something for lent growing up and do sporadically now. I use it as an opportunity to improve myself. It is a set period of time with a definite start date and a definite end date which makes it easier. "I'm going to abstain from x for 40 days."

    I don't really know. Like I said, sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.

    Edit to add: Christmas and Easter etc... all started as pagan celebrations of the changing of the seasons, solstices etc... Stuff like easter eggs, easter bunnies, christmas trees were all originally part of the pagan celebrations. I'm down with celebrating the changing of the seasons whether I believe in a god or not. (Christmas trees are specifically addressed in the bible as a heathen tradition not to be followed so why do so many christians put them up?) Cause it's fun and it's a tradition etc...
  • tjl2329
    tjl2329 Posts: 169 Member
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    Ion I love halloween caramel corn and candy corn. Maybe I wont this.year because of my new found religion. Just kidding ill need God to get through without those.
  • KaleidoscopeEyes1056
    KaleidoscopeEyes1056 Posts: 2,996 Member
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    I'm not religious, but I gave up my history class for Lent. I feel like a much better person now.

    More serious answer: despite not being raised as Catholic, I might possibly do something for Lent one year just for a challenge.
  • JUDDDing
    JUDDDing Posts: 1,367 Member
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    ~40 days is a good time to make or break a habit

    ~Lent goes through the changing of the seasons, from winter to spring, which is kind of like a new beginning, a fresh start

    ~tons and tons of other people are doing it at the exact same time, which can help with support and accountability


    ^ This. I started working out.

    I'm the least religious person in the world, but some of my MFP friends were making positive changes for Lent - and I decided to go along for the ride.

    IMO, any excuse for making yourself better is a good one.
  • tommygirl15
    tommygirl15 Posts: 1,012 Member
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    One of my co-workers is not religious but told me he gave up beer for lent to help support his brother who does observe lent. He thought it was win-win because he was helping his brother, but also helping himself.
  • natsmom118
    natsmom118 Posts: 83 Member
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    I was raised Catholic but I'm not active. I gave up breads for lent because of the tradition and its also nice to set goals, 40 days, why not, I might try more than 40 days. I will probably fast for Ramadan as well-another way to set a goal for myself.
  • olDave
    olDave Posts: 557 Member
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    The same reason people who aren't Christian celebrate Easter or xmas....it's become secularized.

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