Lent comes from the word

20 February 2023

Facts about Lent

Here’s why you should give something up for Lent

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The season of Lent is about 40 days from Carnaval until Easter. It’s the period of forty days of reflection, looking forward to Jesus’ death and resurrection. The period of Lent starts with Ash Wednesday, which finishes the festive of Carnaval.

Where Carnaval is often an overflowing celebration, Lent is a modest time. Historically, Carnaval was also meant to empty the kitchen so you are ready for the time of fasting. Many Christians will live a more temperate lifestyle than usual and often you see people starting with fasting. It is a preparation for Good Friday (where people remember that Jesus died on the cross) and Easter (where people celebrate that Jesus rose from the dead).

Why forty days?

Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means “spring.” Forty days is a period often mentioned in the Bible and here it represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan and where he was prepared for his baptism and ministry.

Repentance and fasting

Lent is a time of repentance, fasting, and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for their baptism of Easter.

Today, you see Christians focussing on their relationship with God and often they choose to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others. You can imagine giving up a meal, but also modern ways of fasting are introduced lately like stopping use Social Media during the time of Lent.

Mini-Easter

The Sundays are not counted in the forty days. This is because the church celebrates the Sundays as mini-Easter. On the Sundays, there’s already the joyful anticipation of the resurrection of Christ!

> What is the meaning of other Christian holidays?

The English word ‘Lent’ comes from the Germanic word for spring, Lenz in modern German.  Lent is in the Western Church a season of 40 weekdays, plus six Sundays, beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter.  In the Romance languages, as in Latin, the name for this season is taken from the word for forty, for example Quadragesima (Latin) and Cuaresma (Spanish).

Since the late antique period the Church observed a period of transition to Lent after Epiphanytide.  Taken together with Lent, this Pre-Lenten period forms a period of nine weeks in which the liturgy becomes progressively more austere.  In this article I will focus on the Lenten Ferial Masses.  To do so, however, requires some attention to Pre-Lent and to some liturgical features of Lent in general.

Pre-Lent

In the Anglican Prayer Book tradition, as in the traditional Roman rite, the three Sundays of Pre-Lent are given the names of Latin numbers referring (very) approximately to the number of days between them and Easter.  The third, second, and last Sundays before Lent are called Septuagesima (seventy), Sexagesima (sixty), and Quinquagesima (fifty).  The day before Septuagesima and Pre-Lent is called ‘Alleluia Saturday’, and it is the last occasion on which ‘alleluia’ is used in any liturgy until the Mass of the Easter Vigil.  In the Mass rite this omission most notably means that the gradual between the epistle and gospel lessons does not include alleluias, as it does otherwise throughout the year on Sundays.  In place of ‘alleluia’ the gradual is followed by a ‘tract’ – some sentence or phrases, often from the psalms.  The omission of alleluias, then, is a change in rite that runs through both Pre-Lent and Lent.  The alleluias are omitted even if a feast is observed during Pre-Lent or Lent.

At Mass on Sundays throughout this same period, and on weekdays when a feast is not observed:  the color is violet, or its equivalent in Sarum and some other uses; the Gloria in excelsis is omitted; and the festal dismissal (‘Depart in peace’), which is always paired with the Gloria, also is not used.  In the Morning office the Te Deum, which also is paired with the Gloria, is not used.

These liturgical changes all begin movement towards omissions or changes that continue through Lent.  But movement towards Lent is not the same as Lent itself.  In Pre-Lent the Lenten fast does not begin, flowers may still be used, and the Sunday proper preface is not that for Lent but rather is the ‘default’ preface of the Holy Trinity.

Lent in general

With Ash Wednesday, Pre-Lenten liturgical observances are augmented by the non-liturgical observances of the season (prayer, fasting, and almsgiving) and by further liturgical austerities on Sundays and weekdays.

The late Austrian Orientalist, philologist, and scholar of liturgy, Anton Baumstark (1872-1948), was known for a theory of liturgical evolution which may, in some respects, be applied to Lent.  Baumstark’s theory includes several principles that he identified as governing the ways in which liturgy tends to develop over time.  To give a few examples, Baumstark believed that liturgies tend to develop from the austere to the more elaborate; that additions to rites tend to accumulate at their beginnings and endings; and, that older or traditional elements tend to cling more to important or special occasions.

The last point is so commonly the case that my liturgics instructor in seminary, Keith Ackerman, referred to it as ‘Baumstark’s law’, though more precisely Baumstark had several such laws or principles.  An example of important or unusual occasions retaining more primitive elements is the division of the parties of the bride and groom at weddings.  The bride’s attendants and guests typically congregate on the side of the church where a Lady chapel or Marian shrine would be located, even in Protestant buildings with no such chapel or shrine or desire for or memory of such.

Lent is likewise a special occasion, and many liturgical peculiarities cling to its Masses, some of which are particularly ancient and the total number of which increase as Lent progresses into Passiontide, Holy Week, and the Sacred Triduum.

Lent is unique among the seasons of the Church year in that it has a full proper Mass for every day of the season.  A ‘proper’ is a unique or particular set of readings, including lessons (usually an epistle and gospel), a set of three prayers or orations (a collect, secret, and postcommunion), and four ‘minor propers’ (an introit; sentences between the epistle and gospel which in Lent are a gradual and tract; a communion sentence; and a postcommunion sentence).  The season also has a proper preface that is used from Ash Wednesday until Passion Sunday (Preface of Lent) and a proper preface used from Passion Sunday through Maundy Thursday (Preface of the Cross).  The seasonal prefaces are used on Sundays and weekdays, unless on a weekday a major feast with its own proper preface takes precedence over the Lenten feria.

The omission of the Gloria in excelsis continues, as already noted, throughout Lent in Masses of the season, both on Sundays and weekdays, again except when a feast occurs of sufficient rank to take precedence over a Lenten feria.  Since the Gloria is omitted, the festal dismissal (‘Depart in peace’) which always accompanies the Gloria also is omitted in favor of ‘Let us bless the Lord’.  Though these omissions characterize Lenten Masses, they are not uniquely peculiar to Lent, since they are also made in ferial Masses in Advent and in all seasonal ferias outside Paschaltide, including, as already noted, in Pre-Lent.

• Lenten Ferial Masses

Lenten weekdays are ‘greater ferias’, which generally take precedence over minor feast days.  When a feast day is of sufficient rank to take precedence over the Lenten feria, the feria still makes its influence felt in several ways that will be noted in a moment.

The lessons in Lenten ferial Masses have several features that deserve mention.  On Ember Wednesday and Ember Saturday in Lent, the Mass has more lessons than the standard two, with three lessons on Ember Wednesday and seven on Ember Saturday.  The same number of lessons on Wednesday and Saturday also occur in the Embertides of Advent, Whitsuntide, and September.  In addition, however, during Lent there also is an extra lesson on the Wednesday after Lent IV and the Wednesday in Holy Week.  Also, many of the lessons on Lenten ferias are unusually long.  On the Saturday after Lent III, for example, almost the entire book of Susanna is read, and in several cases almost entire chapters of Saint John’s gospel are read.  Also, when the ferial Lenten propers are considered together, one also notes that the bulk of chapters 4 to 12 of Saint John’s gospel is read, with many of the gospels being quite long.  While lessons from Matthew tend to dominate up to Lent II, lessons from John become more frequent in the later weeks.

The prominence of lessons from John’s gospel can be seen from the following list of passages with the Lenten days at which they are read:

4:5-42, Friday in Lent III

5:1-15, Ember Friday

6:1-14, Lent IV

7;1-13, Tuesday in Passion Week

7:14-31a, Tuesday in Lent IV

7:32b-39a, Monday in Passion Week

8:1-11, Saturday in Lent III

8:12-20, Saturday in Lent IV

8:21-29, Monday in Lent II

8:46-59a, Passion Sunday

9:1-38,,Wednesday in Lent IV

10:22-38, Wednesday in Passion Week

11:1-45, Friday in Lent IV

11:47-54, Friday in Passion Week

12:10-36, Saturday in Passion Week

Also, the Passion According to Saint John (19:1-37) is read on Good Friday, though it of course comes from later in that gospel than chapter 12.

In addition to these peculiarities concerning the Lenten lections, the ferial Masses also have some other notable features, some of which are remnants of primitive practice:

• An extra prayer, the ‘oration over the people’ (oratio super populum), is added at the end of the Mass, after the regular postcommunion prayers. The celebrant says, ‘Let us pray.  Bow down before the Lord,’ and then reads the oration, which is in standard collect form.  Except for the priest’s introduction, the oration stands alone, with no preceding salutation dialogue.  The oration is given the full Trinitarian termination regardless of the number of postcommunion collects that preceded it.  These facts about the introduction to and termination of the oration signal that it is not simply an extra postcommunion collect but rather has a different origin.  In the ancient Church Mass did not normally end with a blessing, unless the bishop were present.  This Lenten prayer over the people may show the ancient form of concluding Mass, namely with a prayer.  Though the Lenten ferial Masses now do have a final blessing – like almost all other Masses apart from Requiems – the older use is retained in addition.
• On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from Ash Wednesday through the Monday in Holy Week inclusive, except when a feast takes precedence, the same tract is read after the epistle and gradual:

O Lord, deal not with us after our sins : nor reward us according to our wickednesses.  Lord, remember not our old sins, but have mercy upon us, and that soon : for we are come to great misery.  (Here genuflect.)  Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name, O Lord : O deliver us and be merciful unto our sins, for thy Name’s sake.

This tract is plainly penitential in tone, and its use on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays emphasizes the fact that in Lent these days have a particularly strong penitential character.  Likewise the genuflection, along with the introduction to the oration of the people, show that in the ancient Church kneeling was both more common in penitential seasons, and also forbidden in Eastertide.

• Because each ferial Mass has a proper gospel lection, these lections replace the Prologue of Saint John as the Last Gospel when feast days are observed on Lenten weekdays. Normally such displacement of the Prologue of Saint John’s gospel as the Last Gospel by some other gospel lesson only occurs on those rare Sundays in Epiphanytide or Trinitytide when a major feast, such as a feast of an apostle or of Our Lord, takes precedence over the Sunday so that the Sunday is merely commemorated.  In this way even when great feasts are observed on Lenten weekdays, the Lenten feria is commemorated not only with the collect (and secret and postcommunion oration) but also with the proper gospel.
• In seasonal Masses during Passiontide, the Gloria Patri is omitted from the introit and from the Lavabo (the portion of Psalm 26 beginning at 26:6 said silently at the handwashing at the offertory). Also, at the Preparation at the foot of the altar, Psalm 43 and its Gloria Patri are both omitted.  While the use of psalms and psalm verses in worship comes ultimately from the synagogue and is very ancient, the addition of the Gloria Patri in order to ‘Christianize’ the psalms is much later.  The omission of the doxology in Passiontide is probably an instance of ‘Baumstark’s law’.
• From Ash Wednesday until Passion Sunday in both the Roman and the Anglican missals, three collects are used in Lenten seasonal Masses.

1. Collect of the day (Roman and Anglican use);
2. Collect for Ash Wednesday (Anglican) or Of the Saints (Roman);
3. Collect of the Saints (Anglican) or For the quick and dead (Roman).

When a feast day is of sufficient rank to be observed, the pattern is:

1. Collect of the feast (Roman and Anglican use);
2. Collect of the Lenten feria (Roman and Anglican use);
3. Collect for Ash Wednesday (Anglican) or Of the Saints (Roman)

• From Passion Sunday through Wednesday in Holy Week there is only one seasonal collect. In the Roman use the collect of the day is followed by the Collect for the Church, while in the Anglican Missal the collect for Ash Wednesday continues to follow the collect of the day until Palm Sunday, with the Palm Sunday collect as the second collect until Wednesday.  In both the Roman and Anglican use, however, if a feast is to be observed in Passion Week, three collects are used:  that of the feast followed by the collect of the day with either the Collect for the Church (Roman) or for Ash Wednesday (Anglican).

Because the Ash Wednesday collect is used daily in Lent until Holy Week, it is one of the most often used collects in the Church year.  The daily recurrence of the prayer strongly ties the season of Lent together in Anglican worship.  The Advent collect is similarly important, though Advent is somewhat shorter than Lent.

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Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means “sprint.” The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin His ministry.

Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is also a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others.

Sundays in Lent aren’t counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a “mini-Easter” and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.

Lent is traditionally observed by Catholics and some Protestant denominations. It began as a way for Catholics to remind themselves of the value of repentance. The austerity of the Lenten season was seen as similar to how people in the Old Testament fasted and repented in sackcloth and ashes.

We see an example of this in Esther 4:1-3: “When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. He went up to the entrance of the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. And in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.”

We also see an example of this in Daniel 9:3: “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking Him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.”

The reason we celebrate lent for forty days is a reflection of Jesus’ life and the desire to follow in His example. In the New Testament, the Lord fasted for 40 days and nights in preparation for the beginning of His public ministry. We model our 40 day season of Lent today o this holy tradition, established throughout Salvation history, the story of God’s relationship with humanity. Most importantly we observe these 40 days of Lent. In imitation of our Lord – the example for us all.

Individuals who celebrate Lent often think of it as a dreary season of self-denial and restraint. While denying yourself is an aspect of Lent, this notion doesn’t capture the full picture of what the season is really about. People who focus too closely on what they hate giving up miss something so important behind its meaning.

Similar to Jesus’ journey in the wilderness, we are confronted with temptation. But we know denying things that separate us from God allow us to begin again, and grow in our relationship with Him. During Lent, we are separating ourselves from our old life, and embracing new life through Jesus’ death and resurrection at Easter. We are also making resolutions and committing to change our lives in an effort to be more like Christ. In Matthew 16:24 we are told that Jesus said to His disciples “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” This speaks to the part about self-denial. If we want to filly embrace Christ, we have to deny our whole self – this includes anything that comes in conflict with receiving Christ, and prepares us for a new beginning in Him.

We are also told in John 11:25-26 that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. “He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” This again speaks to self-denial. As we let go of sin, and constantly work towards building our faith, we begin to receive the fullness of Christ, and enjoy the pleasures of new life in Him.

Another reason so many Christians struggle through Lent is because they don’t take the time to actively pray. Prayer is especially important during Lent because it helps us grow in our relationship with God, and also gives us strength to endure anything we will confront on our journey. Without prayer, we can’t develop a closer, more intimate relationship with God. We are told in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Prayer is an essential part of Lent, and also essential in helping us deal with any situation we’ll confront in life that may weaken us or separate us from new life in Him.

It’s important we keep our eyes focus on Jesus as we journey through Lent. The example of Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness helps us prepare for our own Lenten journey. This period was a time of struggle, where the Devil attempted to play on Jesus’ human longings, like physical hunger.

Matthew 4: 1:1-3 says “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” But Jesus was not moved. “Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4). The devil didn’t stop there and continued to test Jesus’ strength in his physical weakness. Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” (Matthew 4:5-6). But Jesus was not moved. “Jesus answered him, ‘It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” But the devil still wasn’t done. “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” (Matthew 4:8) But Jesus was disciplined, and unmoved. “Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended Him” (Matthew 4:11).

While the devil attempted to sabotage Jesus over and over again, our Lord and Savior embraced living in a way that was consistent with His Father’s Will. He wouldn’t allow his human needs to control, or master His life. We too have to remember this on our Lenten journeys. Yes, it will be a time of struggle, self-denial and restraint, and we will confront temptation, and weakness along the way. But if we embrace a life with God through Jesus, as opposed to a life of self-indulgence through sin, we are living out God’s Will and will ultimately grow with Him.

So many Christians struggle through Lent because they focus on what they’re giving up, not on building up their relationship with God. Nothing’s wrong with giving up chocolate for Lent, but you have to ask yourself if what you’re giving up is really separating you from having your best relationship with God, and after this period, how did you grow in your relationship with Him?

 More about Lent on Beliefnet:

Why So Many Christians Struggle Through Lent

Giving Up Chocolate? You’re Doing Lent Wrong

6 Things to Stop Giving Up For Lent

6 Reasons to Observe Lent Even if You’re Not Catholic

Lent

Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lencton – the time of year when the days grow long. In the early church, Lent was a time of preparation for the Easter baptism of converts to the faith. Through the experience of fasting, self-denial and acknowledgment of their need to repent and turn to God, they began to live out Paul’s vision of offering oneself to God.

Personal Prayer

I appeal to you therefore brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1)

• How can I be a living sacrifice?
• What will it take for me to live a holy and acceptable life to God?
• Who do I need to be reconciled with in my life?

An Outline of the Faith

• Human Nature
• The Ten Commandments
• Sin and Redemption
• God the Son
• The Holy Scriptures
• Holy Baptism
• Other Sacramental Rites

As part of God’s creation, we are free to make choices. As humans, made in the image of God, we used our freedom to rebel and put ourselves instead of God first. God sent the prophets to show us the way back and sent us the Messiah to free us from the power of sin so that we may live in harmony with God, within ourselves, with our neighbors, and with all creation. Lent is a time of reconciliation and forgiveness.

Reflection on God’s action in daily life

The season of Lent is marked by self-examination and repentance culminating in the Rite of Reconciliation by prayer, fasting and meditation. It is also a time to practice positive acts that enhance an every-growing and loving relationship with God.

• Prepare for the renewal of your baptismal vows and covenant at the Easter Vigil.
• Confess past unfaithfulness: pride, hypocrisy and impatience
• How do I turn to Jesus Christ and put my whole trust in his grace and love?
• What tempts me away from my baptismal ministry?
• When have I experienced a “burning bush” that calls me to pay attention to God?

Things to Do

• Download Ideas & Resources for Lent
• Bake bread. Jesus is the True Bread.
• Find a labyrinth near your home. Spend some time walking it, or ‘walk’ a labyrinth virtually online or with a handheld model of paper, wood, or metal.
• Attend worship services on Ash Wednesday and during Holy Week.
• Take Sabbath time. Find time away, even for a few hours, for a mini-retreat.
• Follow daily devotions
• Pray the Stations of the Cross – at church or virtually online
• Practice a Lenten discipline of contributing to local or global mission

Further resources

• Labyrinths

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lent, in the Christian tradition, is a period of about six weeks before Easter. It is a time in which Christians are supposed to be quiet and thoughtful, preparing themselves for Easter. They should pray a lot, give money to charities and give up some of the things they might otherwise do for pleasure. The period of Lent ends at Easter, which is a time of great celebration as the Christians think of how Jesus had died on the cross but then rose again from the dead.

Lent is traditionally supposed to be forty days long. That is because the Bible says that Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness, preparing for his death and resurrection.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. In the Catholic Church, it ends at the Ninth Hour of Maundy Thursday (44 days). In The Anglican Catholic Church, it ends on Holy Saturday (46 days).

Churches in the Byzantine tradition (for example, Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic) count the days of Lent differently. There are also different local traditions in the Oriental Orthodox church.

Lent is traditionally a time for fasting (not eating much). This tradition was useful because it was a time when food which had been kept for the winter had to be eaten up before it went bad. Many Roman Catholics do not eat meat other than fish on Fridays during Lent.

The word «lent» came from the Old English lencten meaning «spring» (the season).

[change | change source]

• Ash Wednesday
• Carnival
• Easter
• Eastern Orthodox Church: Fasting
• Good Friday
• Maundy Thursday
• People’s Sunday
• Quinquagesima
• Shrove Tuesday

Other websites[change | change source]

• American Catholic Archived 2013-02-19 at the Wayback Machine

This article is about the Western Christian 40-day period. For Lent in Eastern Christianity, see Great Lent. For other uses, see Lent (disambiguation).

Lent Quadragesima
High altar, barren, with few adornments, as is custom during Lent
Type	Christian
Celebrations	Omission of Gloria and Alleluia Veiling of religious images
Observances	Fasting Praying Alms giving
Begins	On Ash Wednesday (Western) On Clean Monday (Eastern)
Ends	On Holy Thursday (Catholic) On Holy Saturday (Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, Moravian, and Western Orthodox) On the Friday before Lazarus Saturday (Eastern)
Date	Variable (follows the paschal computus, and depends on denomination)
2022 date	2 March – 14 April (Roman Catholic) 2 March – 16 April (Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, Moravian, and Western Orthodox) 7 March – 15 April (Eastern)
2023 date	22 February – 6 April (Roman Catholic) 22 February – 8 April (Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, Moravian, and Western Orthodox) 27 February – 7 April (Eastern)
2024 date	14 February – 28 March (Roman Catholic) 14 February – 28 March (Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, Moravian, and Western Orthodox) 18 March – 26 April (Eastern)
Frequency	Annual (lunar calendar)
Related to	Exodus, Temptation of Christ

Lent (Latin: Quadragesima,^[1] ‘Fortieth’) is the solemn Christian religious observance in the liturgical year commemorating the 40 days Jesus Christ spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, before beginning his public ministry.^[2][3] Lent is observed in the Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, Moravian, Oriental Orthodox, Church of the East, United Protestant and Roman Catholic traditions of Christianity.^[4][5] Some Anabaptist, Baptist, Reformed (including certain Continental Reformed, Presbyterian and Congregationalist churches), and nondenominational Christian churches also observe Lent, although many churches in these traditions do not.^{[6][7][8][9][10][11]}

Which days are enumerated as being part of Lent differs between denominations (see below), although in all of them Lent is described as lasting for a total duration of 40 days, the number of days Jesus, as well as Moses and Elijah, went without food in their respective fasts.^[12][13][14] In Lent-observing Western Churches, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later; depending on the Christian denomination and local custom, Lent concludes either on the evening of Maundy Thursday,^[15] or at sundown on Holy Saturday, when the Easter Vigil is celebrated,^[16] though in either case, Lenten fasting observances are maintained until the evening of Holy Saturday.^[17] Sundays may or may not be excluded, depending on the denomination. In Eastern Christianity – including Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Catholics, Eastern Lutherans, and Oriental Orthodox – Lent is observed continuously without interruption for 40 days starting on Clean Monday and ending on Lazarus Saturday before Holy Week.^[18][19]

Lent is a period of grief that necessarily ends with a great celebration of Easter. Thus, it is known in Eastern Orthodox circles as the season of «bright sadness» (Greek: χαρμολύπη, romanized: charmolypê).^[20] The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer for Easter through prayer, mortifying the flesh, repentance of sins, almsgiving, simple living, and self-denial.^[21] In Lent, many Christians commit to fasting, as well as giving up certain luxuries in imitation of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice during his journey into the desert for 40 days;^[22][23][24] this is known as one’s Lenten sacrifice.^[25]

Many Lent-observing Christians also add a Lenten spiritual discipline, such as reading a daily devotional or praying through a Lenten calendar, to draw themselves near to God.^[26][27] Often observed are the Stations of the Cross, a devotional commemoration of Christ’s carrying the Cross and crucifixion. Many churches remove flowers from their altars and veil crucifixes, religious statues that show the triumphant Christ, and other elaborate religious symbols in violet fabrics in solemn observance of the event. The custom of veiling is typically practiced the last two weeks, beginning on the Sunday Judica which is therefore in the vernacular called Passion Sunday until Good Friday, when the cross is unveiled solemnly in the liturgy.

In most Lent-observing denominations, the last week of Lent coincides with Holy Week, starting with Palm Sunday. Following the New Testament narrative, Jesus’ crucifixion is commemorated on Good Friday, and at the beginning of the next week the joyful celebration of Easter Sunday, the start of the Easter season, which recalls the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In some Christian denominations, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday form the Easter Triduum.^[28]

Etymology[edit]

The English word Lent is a shortened form of the Old English word lencten, meaning «spring season», as its Dutch language cognate lente (Old Dutch lentin)^[30] still does today. A dated term in German, Lenz (Old High German lenzo), is also related. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, ‘the shorter form (? Old Germanic type *laŋgito— , *laŋgiton-) seems to be a derivative of *laŋgo— long […] and may possibly have reference to the lengthening of the days as characterizing the season of spring’. The origin of the —en element is less clear: it may simply be a suffix, or lencten may originally have been a compound of *laŋgo— ‘long’ and an otherwise little-attested word *-tino, meaning «day».^[23]

In languages spoken where Christianity was earlier established, such as Greek and Latin, the term signifies the period dating from the 40th weekday before Easter. In modern Greek the term is Σαρακοστή (Sarakostí), derived from the earlier Τεσσαρακοστή (Tessarakostí), meaning «fortieth». The corresponding word in Latin, quadragesima («fortieth»), is the origin of the terms used in Latin-derived languages and in some others.

Examples in the Romance language group are: Catalan quaresma, French carême, Galician coresma, Italian quaresima, Occitan quaresma, Portuguese quaresma, Romanian păresimi, Sardinian caresima, Spanish cuaresma, and Walloon cwareme.^[1] Examples in non-Latin-based languages are: Albanian kreshma, Basque garizuma, Croatian korizma, Irish and Scottish Gaelic carghas, Swahili kwaresima, Filipino kuwaresma, and Welsh c(a)rawys.^{[citation needed]}

In other languages, the name used refers to the activity associated with the season. Thus it is called «fasting period» in Czech (postní doba), German (Fastenzeit), and Norwegian (fasten/fastetid), and it is called «The Great Fast» in Arabic (الصوم الكبير – al-ṣawm al-kabīr), Syriac (ܨܘܡܐ ܪܒܐ ṣawmā rabbā), Polish (wielki post), Russian (великий пост – vieliki post), and Ukrainian (великий піст – velyky pist). Romanian, apart from a version based on the Latin term referring to the 40 days (see above), also has a «great fast» version: postul mare. Dutch has three options, one of which means fasting period, and the other two referring to the 40-day period indicated in the Latin term: vastentijd, veertigdagentijd and quadragesima, respectively.^[1] In India, it is called चरम चालीसा (Charam Chalisa — meaning, «climax forty»).

Origin[edit]

The pattern of fasting and praying for forty days is seen in the Christian Bible, on which basis the liturgical season of Lent was established.^[12][31] In the Old Testament, the prophet Moses went into the mountains for forty days and forty nights to pray and fast «without eating bread or drinking water» before receiving the Ten Commandments (cf. Exodus 34:28).^[31] Likewise, the prophet Elijah went into the mountains for forty days and nights to fast and pray «until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God» when «the word of the Lord came to him» (cf. 1 Kings 19:8–9).^[31] The early Christian bishop Maximus of Turin wrote that as Elijah by «fasting continiously for a period of forty days and forty nights…merited to extinguish the prolonged and severe dryness of the whole world, doing so with a stream of rain and steeping the earth’s dryness with the bounty of water from heaven», in the Christian tradition, this is interpreted as being «a figure of ourselves so that we, also fasting a total of forty days, might merit the spiritual rain of baptism…[and] a shower from heaven might pour down upon the dry earth of the whole world, and the abundant waters of the saving bath might saturate the lengthy drought of the Gentiles.»^[13] In the New Testament, Jesus went into the desert to fast and pray for forty days and forty nights; it was during this time that Satan tried to tempt him (cf. Matthew 4:1–3).^[31] The forty day and night fasts of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus prepared them for their work.^[12]

Early Christianity records the tradition of fasting before Easter.^[32] The Apostolic Constitutions permit the consumption of «bread, vegetables, salt and water, in Lent» with «flesh and wine being forbidden.»^[32] The Canons of Hippolytus authorize only bread and salt to be consumed during Holy Week.^[32] The practice of fasting and abstaining from alcohol, meat and lacticinia during Lent thus became established in the Church.^[32]

In AD 339, Athanasius of Alexandria wrote that the Lenten fast was a forty-day fast that «the entire world» observed.^[33] Saint Augustine of Hippo (AD 354–AD 430) wrote that: «Our fast at any other time is voluntary; but during Lent, we sin if we do not fast.»^[34]

Three main prevailing theories exist on the finalization of Lent as a forty-day fast prior to the arrival of Easter Sunday: First, that it was created at the Council of Nicea in 325 and there is no earlier incarnation. Second, that it is based on an Egyptian Christian post-theophany fast. Third, a combination of origins syncretized around the Council of Nicea.^[35] There are early references to periods of fasting prior to baptism. For instance, the Didache, a 1st or 2nd-century Christian text, commends «the baptizer, the one to be baptized, and any others that are able» to fast to prepare for the sacrament.^[36]

For centuries it has been common practice for baptisms to take place on Easter, and so such references were formerly taken to be references to a pre-Easter fast. Tertullian, in his 3rd-century work On Baptism, indicates that Easter was a «most solemn day for baptism.» However, he is one of only a handful of writers in the ante-Nicene period who indicates this preference, and even he says that Easter was by no means the only favored day for baptisms in his locale.^[37]

Since the 20th century, scholars have acknowledged that Easter was not the standard day for baptisms in the early church, and references to pre-baptismal periods of fasting were not necessarily connected with Easter. There were shorter periods of fasting observed in the pre-Nicene church (Athanasius noted that the 4th-century Alexandrian church observed a period of fasting before Pascha [Easter]).^[35] However it is known that the 40-day period of fasting – the season later named Lent – before Eastertide was clarified at the Nicene Council.^[38] In 363-64 AD, the Council of Laodicea prescribed the Lenten fast as «as of strict necessity.»^[33]

Date and duration[edit]

The 40 days of Lent are calculated differently among the various Christian denominations that observe it, depending on how the date of Easter is calculated, but also on which days Lent is understood to begin and end, and on whether all the days of Lent are counted consecutively. Additionally, the date of Lent may depend on the calendar used by the particular church, such as the (revised) Julian or Gregorian calendars typically used by Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox churches, or the Ethiopian and Coptic calendars traditionally used by some Oriental Orthodox churches.

Roman Catholicism[edit]

Since 1970, in the Roman Rite Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and ends on the evening of Holy Thursday with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. This comprises a period of 44 days. The Lenten fast excludes Sundays and continues through Good Friday and Holy Saturday, totaling 40 days (though the Eucharistic Fast still applies).^[39][40] Although Lent formally ends on Holy Thursday, Lenten fasting practices continue until the Easter Vigil and additionally, the celebration of Easter is preceded by the Paschal fast.^[17][41]

In the Ambrosian Rite, Lent begins on the Sunday that follows what is celebrated as Ash Wednesday in the rest of the Latin Catholic Church, and ends as in the Roman Rite, thus being of 40 days, counting the Sundays but not Holy Thursday. The day for beginning the Lenten fast in the Ambrosian Rite is the Monday after Ash Wednesday. The special Ash Wednesday fast is transferred to the first Friday of the Ambrosian Lent. Until this rite was revised by Saint Charles Borromeo, the liturgy of the First Sunday of Lent was festive, celebrated in white vestments with chanting of the Gloria in Excelsis and Alleluia, in line with the recommendation in Matthew 6:16, «When you fast, do not look gloomy.»^[42][43][44]

During Lent, the Church discourages marriages, but couples may marry if they forgo the special blessings of the Nuptial Mass and limit social celebrations.^[45]

The period of Lent observed in the Eastern Catholic Churches corresponds to that in other churches of Eastern Christianity that have similar traditions.

Protestantism and Western Orthodoxy[edit]

In Protestant and Western Orthodox Churches that celebrate it, the season of Lent lasts from Ash Wednesday to the evening of Holy Saturday.^[19][46] This calculation makes Lent last 46 days if the 6 Sundays are included, but only 40 days if they are excluded.^[47] This definition is still that of the Moravian Church,^[48] Lutheran Church,^[49] Anglican Church,^[50] Methodist Church,^[16] Western Rite Orthodox Church,^[51] United Protestant Churches,^[52] and those of the Reformed Churches (i.e., Continental Reformed, Presbyterian, and Congregationalist) that observe Lent.^[53][54]

Eastern Orthodoxy and Byzantine Rite[edit]

In the Byzantine Rite, i.e., the Eastern Orthodox Great Lent (Greek: Μεγάλη Τεσσαρακοστή or Μεγάλη Νηστεία, meaning «Great 40 Days» and «Great Fast» respectively) is the most important fasting season in the church year.^[55]

The 40 days of Great Lent include Sundays, and begin on Clean Monday. The 40 days are immediately followed by what are considered distinct periods of fasting, Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday, which in turn are followed straightway by Holy Week. Great Lent is broken only after the Paschal (Easter) Divine Liturgy.

The Eastern Orthodox Church maintains the traditional Church’s teaching on fasting. The rules for lenten fasting are the monastic rules. Fasting in the Orthodox Church is more than simply abstaining from certain foods. During the Great Lent Orthodox Faithful intensify their prayers and spiritual exercises, go to church services more often, study the Scriptures and the works of the Church Fathers in depth, limit their entertainment and spendings and focus on charity and good works.

Oriental Orthodoxy[edit]

Among the Oriental Orthodox, there are various local traditions regarding Lent. Those using the Alexandrian Rite, i.e., the Coptic Orthodox, Coptic Catholic, Ethiopian Orthodox, Ethiopian Catholic, Eritrean Orthodox, and Eritrean Catholic Churches, observe eight continuous weeks of fasting constituting three distinct consecutive fasting periods:

1. a Pre-Lenten fast in preparation for Great Lent
2. Great Lent itself
3. the Paschal fast during Holy Week which immediately follows Lent

As in the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the date of Easter is typically reckoned according to the Julian Calendar, and usually occurs later than Easter according to Gregorian Calendar used by Catholic and Protestant Churches.

Ethiopian Orthodoxy[edit]

In Ethiopian Orthodoxy, fasting (tsome) lasts for 55 continuous days before Easter (Fasika), although the fast is divided into three separate periods: Tsome Hirkal, the eight-day Fast of Heraclius, commemorating the fast requested by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius before he reputedly set out to fight the Sassanian Empire and recover the True Cross which had been seized and taken from Jerusalem; Tsome Arba, 40 days of Lent; and Tsome Himamat, seven days commemorating Holy Week.^[56][57][58] Fasting involves abstention from animal products (meat, dairy, and eggs), and refraining from eating or drinking before 3:00 pm.^[56] Ethiopian devotees may also abstain from sexual activity and the consumption of alcohol.^[56]

Quartodecimanism[edit]

Quartodeciman Christians end the fast of Lent on the Paschal full moon of the Hebrew calendar, in order to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread beginning on the 14th of Nisan, whence the name derives. For this practice, they were excommunicated in the Easter controversy of the 2nd century A.D.

Associated customs[edit]

Three traditional practices to be taken up with renewed vigour during Lent; these are known as the three pillars of Lent:^[59]

1. prayer (justice toward God)
2. fasting (justice toward self)
3. almsgiving (justice toward neighbours)

Self-reflection, simplicity, and sincerity (honesty) are emphasised during the Lenten season.^[21]

Pre-Lenten observances[edit]

Shrovetide[edit]

During the season of Shrovetide, it is customary for Christians to ponder what Lenten sacrifices they will make for Lent.^[60] Another hallmark of Shrovetide is the opportunity for a last round of merrymaking associated with Carnival and Fastelavn before the start of the somber Lenten season. The traditions of carrying Shrovetide rods and consuming Shrovetide buns after attending church is celebrated.^[61][62]

On the final day of the season, Shrove Tuesday, many traditional Christians, such as Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists and Roman Catholics, «make a special point of self-examination, of considering what wrongs they need to repent, and what amendments of life or areas of spiritual growth they especially need to ask God’s help in dealing with.»^[63][64] During Shrovetide, many churches place a basket in the narthex to collect the previous year’s Holy Week palm branches that were blessed and distributed during the Palm Sunday liturgies; on Shrove Tuesday, churches burn these palms to make the ashes used during the services held on the very next day, Ash Wednesday.^[65]

In historically Lutheran nations, Shrovetide is known as Fastelavn. After attending the Mass on Shrove Sunday, congregants enjoy Shrovetide buns (fastelavnsboller), «round sweet buns that are covered with icing and filled with cream and/or jam.»^[61] Children often dress up and collect money from people while singing.^[61] They also practice the tradition of hitting a barrel, which represents fighting Satan; after doing this, children enjoy the sweets inside the barrel.^[61] Lutheran Christians in these nations carry Shrovetide rods (fastelavnsris), which «branches decorated with sweets, little presents, etc., that are used to decorate the home or give to children.»^[61]

In English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada, the day before Lent is known as Shrove Tuesday, which is derived from the word shrive, meaning «to administer the sacrament of confession to; to absolve.»^[66] In these countries, pancakes are associated with Shrove Tuesday because they are a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar – rich foods which are not eaten during the season.^[67]

Mardi Gras and carnival celebrations[edit]

Mardi Gras («Fat Tuesday») refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the feast of Epiphany and culminating on the day before Lent.^[68] The carnival celebrations which in many cultures traditionally precede Lent are seen as a last opportunity for excess before Lent begins. Some of the most famous are the Carnival of Barranquilla, the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Carnival of Venice, Cologne Carnival, the New Orleans Mardi Gras, the Rio de Janeiro carnival, and the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival.^{[citation needed]}

Pre-Lenten fasting[edit]

In stark contrast to traditions of merrymaking and feasting, Oriental Orthodox Churches practice a Pre-Lenten fast in preparation for Lent which is immediately followed by the fast of Great Lent without interruption.

Fasting and Lenten sacrifice[edit]

There are traditionally 40 days in Lent; these are marked by fasting, both from foods and festivities, and by other acts of penance. Fasting is maintained for all forty days of Lent (regardless of how they are enumerated; see above). Historically, fasting has been maintained continuously for the whole Lenten season, including Sundays. The making of a Lenten sacrifice, in which Christians give up a personal pleasure for the duration of 40 days, is a traditional practice during Lent.^[69]

During Shrovetide and especially on Shrove Tuesday, the day before the start of the Lenten season, many Christians finalize their decision with respect to what Lenten sacrifices they will make for Lent.^[60] Examples include practicing vegetarianism and teetotalism during Lent as a Lenten sacrifice.^[70][71] While making a Lenten sacrifice, it is customary to pray for strength to keep it; many often wish others for doing so as well, e.g. «May God bless your Lenten sacrifice.»^[72] In addition, some believers add a regular spiritual discipline, to bring them closer to God, such as reading a Lenten daily devotional.^[26]

For Lutherans, Moravians, Anglicans, Methodists, Roman Catholics, United Protestants, and Lent-observing Reformed Christians, the Lenten penitential season ends after the Easter Vigil Mass or Sunrise service. Orthodox Christians also break their fast after the Paschal Vigil, a service which starts around 11:00 pm on Holy Saturday, and which includes the Paschal celebration of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. At the end of the service, the priest blesses cheese, eggs, flesh meats, and other items that the faithful have been abstaining from for the duration of Great Lent.

Lenten traditions and liturgical practices are less common, less binding, and sometimes non-existent among some liberal and progressive Christians.^[73] A greater emphasis on anticipation of Easter Sunday is often encouraged more than the penitence of Lent or Holy Week.^[74]

Some Christians as well as secular groups also interpret the Lenten fast in a positive tone, not as renunciation but as contributing to causes such as environmental stewardship and improvement of health.^[75][76] Even some atheists find value in the Christian tradition and observe Lent.^[77]

In cultivation of vegetables in a temperate oceanic climate in the northern hemisphere, Lent corresponds partly with the hungry gap.

Lenten Black Fast[edit]

Historically, using the early Christian form known as the Black Fast, the observant does not consume food for a whole day until the evening, and at sunset, Christians traditionally break the Lenten fast of that day with supper (no food is consumed in a day apart from the Lenten supper).^[78][79] In India and Pakistan, many Christians continue this practice of fasting until sunset on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, with many fasting in this manner throughout the whole season of Lent.^[80][81]

Daniel Fast[edit]

Christians of various traditions, including Catholics and Methodists, have voluntarily undertaken the Daniel Fast during the season of Lent, in which one abstains from «meat, fish, egg, dairy products, chocolates, ice creams, sugar, sweets, wine or any alcoholic beverages» (cf. Daniel 10:3).^[82][83][84]

Lenten supper[edit]

After attending a worship service (often on Wednesday and Friday evenings), it is common for Christians of various denominations to conclude that day’s Lenten fast together through a communal Lenten supper, which may be held in the church’s parish hall. Lenten suppers ordinarily take place in the home setting during the forty days of Lent during which a family (or individual) concludes that day’s fast after a mealtime prayer.^[85]

Abstinence from meat and animal produce[edit]

Fasting has historically included abstinence from wine, meat, and lacticinia (edible produce derived from animals including dairy products and eggs) which has been enjoined continuously for the whole duration of the season including Sundays.^[86][32] Throughout Christendom, some adherents continue to mark the season with a traditional abstention from the consumption of meat, most notably among Lutherans, Roman Catholics, and Anglicans.^[87][88] The form of abstention may vary depending on what is customary; some abstain from meat for 40 days, some do so only on Fridays, or some only on Good Friday itself.

In Roman Catholicism, lacticinia may be consumed by penitents in Spain and its colonised territories, per a pontifical decree of Pope Alexander VI. Until 1741, meat and lacticinia were otherwise forbidden for the whole season of Lent, including Sundays. In that year, Pope Benedict XIV allowed for the consumption of meat and lacticinia during certain fasting days of Lent.^[89]

Dispensations for the allowance of certain foods have been given throughout history, depending on the climate in that part of the world. For example, Giraldus Cambrensis, in his Itinerary of Archbishop Baldwin through Wales, reports that «in Germany and the arctic regions», «great and religious persons» eat the tail of beavers as «fish» because of its superficial resemblance to «both the taste and colour of fish.» The animal was very abundant in Wales at the time.^[90] Saint Thomas Aquinas allowed for the consumption of candy during Lent, because «sugared spices», such as comfits, were, in his opinion, digestive aids on par with medicine rather than food.^[91]

Fasting practices are considerably relaxed in Western societies today, though in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Catholic, and Eastern Lutheran Churches abstinence from all animal products including eggs, fish, fowl, and milk is still commonly practiced, so that, where this is observed, only vegetarian (or vegan) meals are consumed for the whole of Lent, 48 days in the Byzantine Rite. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church’s practices require a fasting period that is a great deal longer, and there is some dispute over whether fish consumption is permissible.

In the traditions of Lent-observing Western Christian churches, abstinence from eating some form of food (generally meat, but not dairy or fish products) is distinguished from fasting. In principle, abstinence is to be observed on Ash Wednesday and on every Friday of the year that is not a solemnity (a liturgical feast day of the highest rank); but in each country the episcopal conference can determine the form it is to take, perhaps replacing abstinence with other forms of penance.^[92][93][94]

Sexual abstinence[edit]

Through the Middle Ages, Christians abstained from sexual relations during the whole of Lent.^[95] In view of this, nine months after Lent, birth records were drastically low due to believers abstaining from intimate relations during Lent.^[96] In Spain, according to researchers from the University of Valencia and the University of Alcalà, the custom of abstaining from sexual relations was widely practiced until the end of the Franco régime, though some Christians voluntarily continue this practice today, and denominations such as the Eastern Orthodox Church continue to require abstinence from sexual relations during Lent.^[97][98]

Specific fasting traditions by Christian denomination[edit]

Roman Catholicism[edit]

Prior to 1966, the Roman Catholic Church allowed Catholics of fasting age to eat only one full meal a day throughout all forty days of Lent, except on the Lord’s Day. Catholics were allowed to take a smaller meal, called a collation, which was introduced after the 14th century A.D., and a cup of some beverage, accompanied by a little bread, in the morning.^[99] The 1917 Code of Canon Law allowed the full meal on a fasting day to be taken at any hour and to be supplemented by two collations, with the quantity and the quality of the food to be determined by local custom. Abstinence from meat was to be observed on Ash Wednesday and on Fridays and Saturdays in Lent.^[100]

The Lenten fast ended on Holy Saturday at noon. Only those aged 21 to 59 were obliged to fast. As with all ecclesiastical laws, particular difficulties, such as strenuous work or illness, excused one from observance, and a dispensation from the law could be granted by a bishop or parish priest.^[101] A rule of thumb is that the two collations should not add up to the equivalent of another full meal. Rather portions were to be: «sufficient to sustain strength, but not sufficient to satisfy hunger.»^[102]

In 1966, Pope Paul VI reduced the obligatory fasting days from all forty days of Lent to Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, abstinence days to Fridays and Ash Wednesday, and allowed episcopal conferences to replace abstinence and fasting with other forms of penitence such as charity and piety, as declared and established in his apostolic constitution Paenitemini; fasting on all forty days of Lent is still «strongly recommended», though not under pain of mortal sin.^[103] This was done so that those in countries where the standard of living is lower can replace fasting with prayer, but «…where economic well-being is greater, so much more will the witness of asceticism have to be given…»^[104]

This was made part of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, which made obligatory fasting for those aged between 18 and 59, and abstinence for those aged 14 and upward.^[92] The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference decided to allow other forms of Friday penance to replace that of abstinence from meat, whether in Lent or outside Lent, suggesting alternatives such as abstaining from some other food, or from alcohol or smoking; making a special effort at participating in family prayer or in Mass; making the Stations of the Cross; or helping the poor, sick, old, or lonely.^[105]

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales made a similar ruling in 1985^[106] but decided in 2011 to restore the traditional year-round Friday abstinence from meat.^[107] The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has maintained the rule of abstention from meat on Friday only during Lent and considers poultry to be a type of meat but not fish or shellfish.^[108][109]

The Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen (CMRI), a Sedevacantist Roman Catholic congregation, requires fasting for its members on all of the forty days of the Christian season of repentance, Lent (except on the Lord’s Day). The CMRI mandates under the pain of grave sin, abstinence from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and all Fridays of the year in general.^[110]

Even during Lent, the rule about solemnities holds, so that the obligation of Friday abstinence does not apply on 19 and 25 March when, as usually happens, the solemnities of Saint Joseph and the Annunciation are celebrated on those dates. The same applies to Saint Patrick’s Day, which is a solemnity in the whole of Ireland as well as in dioceses that have Saint Patrick as their principal patron saint. In some other places, too, where there are strong Irish traditions within the Catholic community, a dispensation is granted for that day.^[111] In Hong Kong, where Ash Wednesday often coincides with Chinese New Year celebrations, a dispensation is then granted from the laws of fast and abstinence, and the faithful are exhorted to use some other form of penance.^[112]

Lutheranism[edit]

Following the birth of Lutheranism in the Protestant Reformation, Lutheran church orders in the 16th century «retained the observation of the Lenten fast, and Lutherans have observed this season with a serene, earnest attitude.»^[5] Many Lutheran churches advocate fasting during Lent,^[24][113] especially on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.^{[114][24][115][116]} A Handbook for the Discipline of Lent published by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a mainline Lutheran denomination, offers a number of guidelines for fasting, abstinence, and other forms of self-denial during Lent:^[87]

1. Fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday with only one simple meal during the day, usually without meat.
2. Refrain from eating meat (bloody foods) on all Fridays in Lent, substituting fish for example.
3. Eliminate a food or food group for the entire season. Especially consider saving rich and fatty foods for Easter.
4. Consider not eating before receiving Communion in Lent.
5. Abstain from or limit a favorite activity (television, movies etc.) for the entire season, and spend more time in prayer, Bible study, and reading devotional material.
6. Don’t just give up something that you have to give up for your doctor or diet anyway. Make your fast a voluntary self-denial (i.e. discipline) that you offer to God in prayer.^[87]

The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, a confessional Lutheran denomination, likewise permits (but does not require) members to give things up for Lent, while emphasizing that the purpose of Lent is repentance from sin rather than minor acts of self-denial in themselves.^[117][118]

Moravian Church[edit]

Members of the Moravian Church voluntarily fast during the season of Lent, along with making a Lenten sacrifice for the season as a form of penitence.^[119]

Reformed Churches[edit]

John Calvin, the principal figure in the development of Reformed theology, critiqued the practice of Lent in his Institutes of the Christian Religion as a «superstitious observance,» and observed that «Christ did not fast repeatedly (which he must have done had he meant to lay down a law for an anniversary fast), but once only, when preparing for the promulgation of the gospel.»^[120] Similarly, leading Reformed divines such as Samuel Rutherford rejected the obligation of Lent.^[121]

The Directory for Public Worship produced by the Westminster Assembly in 1644 and approved by the Scottish Parliament in 1645 takes the position that «[t]here is no day commanded in scripture to be kept holy under the gospel but the Lord’s day, which is the Christian Sabbath,» and approves of fasting specifically «upon special emergent occasions» (cf. days of humiliation and thanksgiving).^[122] Accordingly, and in keeping with the Reformed regulative principle of worship, the Reformed churches have historically not observed Lent.^[123]

Some churches in the Reformed tradition observe Lent today.^[23] For example, the Reformed Church in America, a Mainline Protestant denomination, describes the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, as a day «focused on prayer, fasting, and repentance,» encouraging members to «observe a Holy Lent, by self-examination and penitence, by prayer and fasting, by practicing works of love, and by reading and reflecting on God’s Holy Word.»^[124]
Among Reformed Christians who do observe Lent, Good Friday, which is towards the end of the Lenten season, is an important day of communal fasting, as it is for many Episcopalians, Lutherans, and Methodists.^[125]

Anglican Churches[edit]

In the Anglo-Catholic wing of the Anglican Communion, the Saint Augustine’s Prayer Book, a companion to the Book of Common Prayer, states that fasting is «usually meaning not more than a light breakfast, one full meal, and one half meal, on the forty days of Lent.»^[88] It further states that «the major Fast Days of Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, as the American Prayer-Book indicates, are stricter in obligation, though not in observance, than the other Fast Days, and therefore should not be neglected except in cases of serious illness or other necessity of an absolute character.»^[126]

Methodist Churches[edit]

The historic Methodist homilies regarding the Sermon on the Mount stress the importance of the Lenten fast, which begins on Ash Wednesday.^[127] The United Methodist Church therefore states that:

There is a strong biblical base for fasting, particularly during the 40 days of Lent leading to the celebration of Easter. Jesus, as part of his spiritual preparation, went into the wilderness and fasted 40 days and 40 nights, according to the Gospels.^[128]

Good Friday, which is towards the end of the Lenten season, is traditionally an important day of communal fasting for Methodists.^[125] Rev. Jacqui King, the minister of Nu Faith Community United Methodist Church in Houston explained the philosophy of fasting during Lent as «I’m not skipping a meal because in place of that meal I’m actually dining with God.»^[129]

The United Methodist Church teaches, in reference to one’s Lenten sacrifice, that «On each Lord’s Day in Lent, while Lenten fasts continue, the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.»^[130]

[edit]

The number 40 has many Biblical references:

• Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai with God^[131]
• Elijah spent 40 days and nights walking to Mount Horeb^[132]
• God sent 40 days and nights of rain in the great flood of Noah^[133]
• The Hebrew people wandered 40 years in the desert while traveling to the Promised Land^[134]
• Jonah’s prophecy of judgment gave 40 days to the city of Nineveh in which to repent or be destroyed^[135]
• Jesus retreated into the wilderness, where He fasted for 40 days, and was tempted by the devil.^[136] He overcame all three of Satan’s temptations by citing scripture to the devil, at which point the devil left him, angels ministered to Jesus, and He began His ministry. Jesus further said that His disciples should fast «when the bridegroom shall be taken from them»,^[137] a reference to his Passion.
• It is the traditional belief that Jesus lay for 40 hours in the tomb,^[43] which led to the 40 hours of total fasting that preceded the Easter celebration in the early Church^[138] (the biblical reference to ‘three days in the tomb’ is understood by them as spanning three days, from Friday afternoon to early Sunday morning, rather than three 24-hour periods of time). Some Christian denominations, such as The Way International and Logos Apostolic Church of God,^[139] as well as Anglican scholar E. W. Bullinger in The Companion Bible, believe Christ was in the grave for a total of 72 hours, reflecting the type of Jonah in the belly of the whale.^[140]

One of the most important ceremonies at Easter is the baptism of the initiates on Easter Eve. The fast was initially undertaken by the catechumens to prepare them for the reception of this sacrament. Later, the period of fasting from Good Friday until Easter Day was extended to six days, to correspond with the six weeks of training necessary to give the final instruction to those converts who were to be baptized.^{[citation needed]}

Converts to Christianity followed a strict catechumenate or period of instruction and discipline prior to receiving the sacrament of baptism, sometimes lasting up to three years.^[141] In Jerusalem near the close of the fourth century, classes were held throughout Lent for three hours each day. With the legalization of Christianity (by the Edict of Milan) and its later imposition as the state religion of the Roman Empire, its character was endangered by the great influx of new members. In response, the Lenten fast and practices of self-renunciation were required annually of all Christians, both to show solidarity with the catechumens, and for their own spiritual benefit.^{[citation needed]}

Almsgiving[edit]

In addition to fasting and the Lenten sacrifice, the period of Lent is traditionally a time of almsgiving, when Christians are encouraged to donate the value of what they forego during Lent.

Prayer and devotion[edit]

A common practice is the singing of the Stabat Mater hymn in designated groups. Among Filipino Roman Catholics, the recitation of the epic of Christ’ passion, called Pasiong Mahal, is also observed. In many Christian countries, grand religious processions and cultural customs are observed,^[142] such as the Stations of the Cross.^[143] A custom of visiting seven churches during Holy Week to pray the Stations of the Cross and praying at each church, exists and has been done in an ecumenical context, involving Christians of the Catholic, Methodist, Episcopal and Salvationist traditions, among others.^[144]

Omission of Gloria and Alleluia[edit]

The Gloria in excelsis Deo, which is usually said or sung on Sundays at Mass (or Communion) of the Roman, Lutheran and Anglican rites, is omitted on the Sundays of Lent (as well as Sundays of Advent), but continues in use on solemnities and feasts and on special celebrations of a more solemn kind.^[145][146] Some Mass compositions were written especially for Lent, such as Michael Haydn’s Missa tempore Quadragesimae, without Gloria, in D minor, and for modest forces, only choir and organ. The Gloria is used on Maundy Thursday, to the accompaniment of bells, which then fall silent until the Gloria in excelsis of the Easter Vigil.^[147]

The Lutheran Divine Service, the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, the Anglican Churches, and the Presbyterian service of worship associate the Alleluia with joy and omit it entirely throughout Lent,^[148][149] not only at Mass but also in the canonical hours and outside the liturgy. The word «Alleluia» at the beginning and end of the Acclamation Before the Gospel at Mass is replaced by another phrase.

Before 1970, the omission began with Septuagesima, and the whole Acclamation was omitted and was replaced by a Tract; and in the Liturgy of the Hours the word «Alleluia», normally added to the Gloria Patri at the beginning of each Hour – now simply omitted during Lent – was replaced by the phrase Laus tibi, Domine, rex aeternae gloriae (Praise to you, O Lord, king of eternal glory).

Until the Ambrosian Rite was revised by Saint Charles Borromeo the liturgy of the First Sunday of Lent was festive, celebrated with chanting of the Gloria and Alleluia, in line with the recommendation in Matthew 6:16, «When you fast, do not look gloomy.»^[42][43][44]

In the Byzantine Rite, the Gloria (Great Doxology) continues to be used in its normal place in the Matins service, and the Alleluia appears all the more frequently, replacing «God is the Lord» at Matins.

Veiling of religious images[edit]

In certain majority-Christian states, in which liturgical forms of Christianity predominate, religious objects were traditionally veiled for the entire 40 days of Lent. Though perhaps uncommon in the United States of America, this practice is consistently observed in Goa, Malta, Peru, the Philippines (the latter only for the entire duration of Holy Week, with the exception of processional images), and in the Spanish cities: Barcelona, Málaga, and Seville. In Ireland, before Vatican II, when impoverished rural Catholic convents and parishes could not afford purple fabrics, they resorted to either removing the statues altogether or, if too heavy or bothersome, turned the statues to face the wall. As is popular custom, the 14 Stations of the Cross plaques on the walls are not veiled.

Crosses were often adorned with jewels and gemstones, the form referred to as Crux Gemmata. To keep the faithful from adoring elaborately-ornamented crucifixes, churches began veiling them in purple fabrics. The violet colour later came to symbolize penance and mourning.

Further liturgical changes in modernity reduced such observances to the last week of Passiontide. In parishes that could afford only small quantities of violet fabrics, only the heads of the statues were veiled. If no violet fabrics could be afforded at all, then the religious statues and images were turned around facing the wall. Flowers were removed as a sign of solemn mourning.

In the pre-1992 Methodist liturgy and pre-1970 forms of the Roman Rite, the last two weeks of Lent are known as Passiontide, a period beginning on the Fifth Sunday in Lent, which in the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal is called the First Sunday in Passiontide and in earlier editions Passion Sunday. All statues (and in England paintings as well) in the church were traditionally veiled in violet. This was seen as in keeping with John 8:46–59, the Gospel of that Sunday, in which Jesus «hid himself» from the people.

Within many churches in the United States of America, after the Second Vatican Council, the need to veil statues or crosses became increasingly irrelevant and was deemed unnecessary by some diocesan bishops. As a result, the veils were removed at the singing of the Gloria in Excelsis Deo during the Easter Vigil. In 1970, the name «Passiontide» was dropped, although the last two weeks are markedly different from the rest of the season, and continuance of the tradition of veiling images is left to the discretion of a country’s conference of bishops or even to individual parishes as pastors may wish.

On Good Friday, the Anglican, Lutheran, and Methodist churches traditionally veiled «all pictures, statutes, and the cross are covered in mourning black», while «the chancel and altar coverings are replaced with black, and altar candles are extinguished.» The fabrics are then «replaced with white on sunrise on Easter Sunday.»^[150]

Vestments[edit]

In the Lutheran, Methodist, Roman Catholic, and many Anglican churches, pastors and priests wear violet vestments during the season of Lent.^[152][153] Roman Catholic priests wear white vestments on solemnity days for St. Joseph (March 19) and the Annunciation (March 25), although these solemnities are transferred to another date if they fall on a Sunday during Lent or at any time during Holy Week. On the fourth Sunday of Lent, rose-coloured (pink) vestments may be worn in lieu of violet. Historically, black was also used: Pope Innocent III declared black to be the proper color for Lent, though Durandus of Saint-Pourçain asserted violet was preferable to black.^[154]

In some Anglican churches, a type of unbleached linen or muslin known as «Lenten array» is worn during the first three weeks of Lent, crimson is worn during Passiontide, and on holy days, the colour proper to the day is worn.^[155] In certain other Anglican churches, as an alternative to violet for all of Lent except Holy Week and red beginning on Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday, Lenten array, typically made of sackcloth such as burlap and trimmed with crimson cloth, often velvet, is worn, even during Holy Week—since the sackcloth represents penance and the crimson edges represent the Passion of Christ. Even the veils that cover the altar crosses or crucifixes and statuary (if any) are made of the same sackcloth with the crimson trim.

Holy days within the season of Lent[edit]

There are several holy days within the season of Lent:

• Clean Monday is the first of Lent in Eastern Christianity.
• Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in Western Christianity, such as the Roman Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, the Lutheran Churches, and Methodist Churches. However, in the Ambrosian Rite and the Mozarabic Rite, there is no Ash Wednesday: Lent begins on the first Sunday and the fast begins on the first Monday.
• Lenten Sundays

1. The first Sunday in Lent marks one of the weeks during which Ember days are observed in Western Christian churches.
3. The fourth Sunday in Lent, which marks the halfway point between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday, is referred to as Laetare Sunday by Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and many other Christians, because of the traditional Entrance Antiphon of the Mass. Due to the more «joyful» character of the day (since laetare in Latin means «rejoice»), the priest, deacon, and subdeacon have the option of wearing vestments of a rose colour (pink) instead of violet.
• Additionally, the fourth Lenten Sunday, Mothering Sunday, which has become known as Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom and an occasion for honouring mothers of children, has its origin in a 16th-century celebration of the Mother Church.
• The fourth Sunday of Lent has also been called «Rose Sunday»; on this day the Pope blesses the Golden Rose, a jewel in the shape of a rose.
4. The fifth Sunday in Lent, also known in some denominations as Passion Sunday (and in some denominations also applies to Palm Sunday) marks the beginning of Passiontide.
5. The sixth Sunday in Lent, commonly called Palm Sunday, marks the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of Lent immediately preceding Easter.

• The Sundays in Lent carry Latin names in German Lutheranism, derived from the beginning of the Sunday’s introit. The first is called Invocabit, the second Reminiscere, the third Oculi, the fourth Laetare, the fifth Judica, the sixth Palm Sunday.

• Wednesday of Holy Week, Holy Wednesday (also sometimes known as Spy Wednesday) commemorates Judas Iscariot’s bargain to betray Jesus.^{[156][157][158]}
• Thursday of Holy Week is known as Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday, and is a day Christians commemorate the Last Supper shared by Christ with his disciples.
• The next day is Good Friday, which begins the Easter Triduum; on this day Christians remember Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and burial.

Easter Triduum[edit]

In the Anglican, Lutheran, Old Catholic, Roman Catholic, and many other traditions, the Easter Triduum is a three-day event that begins Maundy Thursday evening, with the entrance hymn of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. After this celebration, the consecrated Hosts are taken solemnly from the altar to a place of reposition, where the faithful are invited to meditate in the presence of the consecrated Hosts.This is the Church’s response to Jesus’ question to the disciples sleeping in the Garden of Gethsemane, «Could you not watch with me one hour?» On the next day, the liturgical commemoration of the Passion of Jesus Christ is celebrated at 3 pm, unless a later time is chosen due to work schedules.

This service consists of readings from the Scriptures, especially John the Evangelist’s account of the Passion of Jesus, followed by prayers, veneration of the cross of Jesus, and a communion service at which the hosts consecrated at the evening Mass of the day before are distributed. The Easter Vigil during the night between Holy Saturday afternoon and Easter Sunday morning starts with the blessing of a fire and a special candle, and with readings from Scripture associated with baptism. Then, the Gloria in Excelsis Deo is sung, water is blessed, baptism and confirmation of adults may take place, the people are invited to renew the promises of their own baptism, and finally, Mass is celebrated in the usual way from the Preparation of the Gifts onwards.

Holy Week and the season of Lent, depending on denomination and local custom, end with Easter Vigil at sundown on Holy Saturday or on the morning of Easter Sunday. It is custom for some churches to hold sunrise services which include open air celebrations in some places.

Media coverage[edit]

In the United Kingdom, BBC’s Radio Four normally broadcasts during Lent a series of programmes called the Lent Talks.^[159] These 15-minute programmes are normally broadcast on a Wednesday and have featured various speakers, such as Christian apologist John Lennox.^[160]

See also[edit]

General[edit]

Christianity[edit]

Islam[edit]

Judaism[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Daily Lenten Devotional – Lutheran Hour Ministries
• Methodist Church: Lent and Easter Resources
• Simply Catholic – Your Guide to a Catholic Lent: Everything You Need for a More Spiritual Lent