Catholic or not, giving up alcohol for Lent

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DragonflyF15
DragonflyF15 Posts: 437 Member
in Motivation and Support
With Mardi Gras weekend coming up, it got me thinking of the original point behind Mardi Gras and those who are Catholic will give up something for Lent starting the following day of Fat Tuesday. Alcohol adds in so many extra calories, not to mention the things we eat under the influence, but also to help us perhaps find other ways to cope or deal with stress or life. So, I'm thinking of starting a group for those wanting to give up alcohol for the Lent period, Catholic or not. Those who follow lent know that you don't fast on Sunday and have that day off if they so choose, so I'm thinking this is how we will do this challenge:
Starting Ash Wednesday/March 5th we will start the challenge, and it will end Easter/April 20th. 46 days total. You may drink one day a week, but limit it to 2 standard sized drinks (No Betty White wine glasses! lol!). If you want to go all 46 days, that's great too. That's having 40 sober days, think you are up for it? Reply here, or shoot me a message.

If you love your beer, wine, spirits and not planning on giving up, no need to reply. Keep going on your merry little way :)
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  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
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    well i think if you are still drinking, you are not giving it up. LMAO.

    im contemplating giving up meat/chicken for lent. that means eating it ZERO days.
  • DragonflyF15
    DragonflyF15 Posts: 437 Member
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    http://catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/f/Counting_Lent.htm and http://catholicism.about.com/b/2008/02/29/reader-question-should-we-fast-on-sundays.htm is where I got my info from to figure out how they figured out the 40 days of lent when you count the days and it's 46. Growing up with my Catholic Grandmother, she said Sundays was not a day of Lent. Not here for a technical religious debate. Just the concept of giving up drinking or cutting back significantly for a period of time and figured why not Lent. The one day a week of drinking 1-2 drinks doesn't have to be Sunday either, as I'm not trying to make this religious.
  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
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    yeah im not religious either. i just think im going to try it. i dont drink at all so that is not an issue. good luck on your quest.
  • IvanCasillas
    IvanCasillas Posts: 90 Member
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    Im in :) I love Lent
  • PoppieM
    PoppieM Posts: 54 Member
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    I was also planning to give up alcohol for Lent....I am all in :)
  • Meg5065
    Meg5065 Posts: 33 Member
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    I'm in. Othodox Easter & Western Easter are on the same day this year, so we can do this together.
  • DragonflyF15
    DragonflyF15 Posts: 437 Member
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    Awesome, this weekend I will put together a group :)
  • DragonflyF15
    DragonflyF15 Posts: 437 Member
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    bump.

    Might bump again the day after Mardi Gras when ya'll have a hangover, :)
  • lulavenus
    lulavenus Posts: 14 Member
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    I'd do it, but I'm Irish.

    That would mean no drinking on St Patrick's Day.

    Also, I'm Irish.

    So it's kind of impossible.
  • beckytcy
    beckytcy Posts: 135 Member
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    Great idea! I'm in! I'm not Catholic, but I've been thinking about giving up drinking completely for health/weight loss reasons.
  • daniellerusbult2
    daniellerusbult2 Posts: 102 Member
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    I'd do it, but I'm Irish.

    That would mean no drinking on St Patrick's Day.

    Also, I'm Irish.

    So it's kind of impossible.

    LOL that made me laugh a lot!

    I've been needing an excuse not to drink... Totally forgot about lent coming up (and I'm catholic!).
  • healthylifehappywife8914
    healthylifehappywife8914 Posts: 36
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    I'm doing this as well... I rarely drink in the first place, but I find myself very tempted when I have girls nights and things like that, so I'm going to give it up completely for Lent (even on Sundays!), along with something else... Haven't decided what yet, though...
  • caroldavison332
    caroldavison332 Posts: 864 Member
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    You seen to have questions about Lent. During Lent, many faithful Christians commit to fasting or giving up certain types of luxuries as a form of penitence. In certain pious Catholic countries, some adherents mark the season with the traditional abstention from the consumption of meat.

    Lent is traditionally described as lasting for forty days, in commemoration of the forty days which, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation by the Devil.[2][3] However, different Christian denominations calculate the forty days of Lent differently. In most Western traditions the Sundays are not counted as part of Lent since Sundays are always the weekly anniversary of the Resurrection and exempt from fasting or abstinance from meat; thus the period from Ash Wednesday until Easter consists of 40 days when the Sundays are excluded. However in the Roman Catholic Church Lent is now taken to end on Holy Thursday rather than Easter Eve, and hence lasts 38 days excluding Sundays, or 44 days in total.

    This year I will add prayer to the times that I am walking my dog. I think that God can hear me better outside than under shingles, roofing and sheetrock.
  • Mojoman02
    Mojoman02 Posts: 146 Member
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    I'd do it, but I'm Irish.

    That would mean no drinking on St Patrick's Day.

    Also, I'm Irish.

    So it's kind of impossible.

    Hilarious!! I MAY do this.....let me think about it.....and I'm not even Irish!
  • ReluctantDieter88
    ReluctantDieter88 Posts: 34 Member
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    I'm in! I was planning on doing it anyways.. without the cheat days for me because if I cheat I won't stop ;)
  • Slacker16
    Slacker16 Posts: 1,184 Member
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    I've heard of people doing the opposite:
    http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/04/01/editor-gives-up-food-for-lent-drinks-only-beer-water/
  • DavyGaga
    DavyGaga Posts: 18
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    I'll Happily join too! I was thinking "Darn how am I going to have fun at weekend parties" But then I realized I could just wait until midnight Saturday night/Sunday morning and there you go! Haha!
  • iplayoutside19
    iplayoutside19 Posts: 2,304 Member
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    You seen to have questions about Lent. During Lent, many faithful Christians commit to fasting or giving up certain types of luxuries as a form of penitence. In certain pious Catholic countries, some adherents mark the season with the traditional abstention from the consumption of meat.

    Lent is traditionally described as lasting for forty days, in commemoration of the forty days which, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation by the Devil.[2][3] However, different Christian denominations calculate the forty days of Lent differently. In most Western traditions the Sundays are not counted as part of Lent since Sundays are always the weekly anniversary of the Resurrection and exempt from fasting or abstinance from meat; thus the period from Ash Wednesday until Easter consists of 40 days when the Sundays are excluded. However in the Roman Catholic Church Lent is now taken to end on Holy Thursday rather than Easter Eve, and hence lasts 38 days excluding Sundays, or 44 days in total.

    This year I will add prayer to the times that I am walking my dog. I think that God can hear me better outside than under shingles, roofing and sheetrock.

    Not sure what I'm giving up for Lent, but I would just like to point out that most Christian denominations view Lent and Easter similarly and it's not just Catholics who celebrate it. A person may be a Christian and not be Catholic, but all Catholics fall under "Christianity" in that they beleive that Jesus is the savior of humankind.
  • LovePBandJ
    LovePBandJ Posts: 288 Member
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    Love the idea and may join you! Sad to say, I may NEED that Sunday resurrection celebration. ;)

    As a Catholic, I was also taught that Lent was not necessarily just for "giving something up" but for making a sacrifice. An example of this could be "during Lent I will read to the elderly." When my daughter was little she often opted to give up chocolate, as so many young ones do, and then we began to explore the sacrifice of our time to benefit others. It was lovely.

    OP, I liked how you asked the "derps" to keep moving along if this wasn't for them. I wish they listened! Too many derps on the MFP boards!
  • DragonflyF15
    DragonflyF15 Posts: 437 Member
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    Ok, getting the group set up! Any others, feel free to message me or post here and I'll send out an invite :)

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