Lent, explained
There are some rules and guidelines that mark the observance of Lent for Christians who observe the season. But like most practices rooted in Christianity, the way people observe Lent, or whether they observe it at all, varies wildly depending on their heritage, specific religious tradition, and preferences.
What is Lent?
Lent is the greatest and most solemn period of fasting on the Christian church’s calendar, leading up to the celebration of Christianity’s most important feast day: Easter.
- The easiest way to understand the church calendar is as a sort of live immersive theater, designed to reenact the life of Jesus every year from Christmas (birth) to Easter (resurrection).
Lent is sometimes called the “Great Fast”
It’s a period of time in which Christians are meant to give up some comfort or adopt some spiritual practice that leads to self-examination, repentance from sin, and, ultimately, renewal of the soul
- Advent, the period leading up to Christmas, is also meant to foster a feeling of anticipation before celebrating the birth of Jesus.
- Lent is more about recognizing and embracing one’s mortality, and acknowledging the sinfulness that marks earthly life
Why do people fast during Lent?
Most people know Lent as a time to fast from something – chocolate, alcohol, sex, and social media are all popular choices in the US.
- Some people who observe Lent don’t fast at all, electing instead to add a spiritual practice during the 40 days, such as regular church attendance, prayer, giving to charity, or performing community service.
Lent is 46 days long
Each week, the fast is interrupted by a Sunday – six in all.
- In traditional Christian teaching, each Sunday is itself a feast day, a mini-remembrance of Jesus’s resurrection that happens every week.
- So, Christians who observe Lent are told to break their Lenten fast on Sunday and celebrate the feast.
You don’t have to be Christian to fast during Lent
Fasting is a big part of Hinduism, Buddhism, and many other religious traditions
- For most religious people, their faith and practice is about more than mental assent to a list of beliefs – it’s about the whole human experience, which includes the body
- Lent is not meant to be a time for self-improvement – in fact, the idea of using Lent to improve yourself – even your spiritual life – is considered the opposite of Lent’s purpose
How are the dates for Lent calculated?
Since the First Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, the date of Easter has been determined by locating the first full moon following March 21 on the Gregorian calendar.
- Once the date for Easter is fixed, all you have to do is to calculate the other days of observance that fall during Lent.
Ash Wednesday
The first day of Lent on the Western Christian calendar, falling 46 days before Easter
- Palm branches that were blessed on Palm Sunday of the previous year are burned to create ashes and used to mark worshippers’ foreheads at church services
- Traditionally, the minister applying the ashes says “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
- Humans are limited, and must depend on God for their very life.
- It is a day for humility.