Lent

[polly1]

is it only catholics that recognise lent. Am in scotland and everyone in the office is going on about being a protestant and not giving anything up for lent. are they splitting hairs a wee bit????

[darth vader]

yes.
perhaps - it's good to give up something in pennance whether catholic or not (there are plenty non-christians who celebrate Christmas don't forget)

[Pickle]

I used to go to a C of E church as a kid and I was expected to give something up for Lent. Though, it didn't seem to matter much if you slipped up, you weren't going to hell or anything. It just seemed important to try. Lent is more important to Catholics I think.

[froggequene]

I don't remember ever hearing that Lent was an exclusively Catholic thing. I think the people in your office have missed the point, Lent isn't religion, Jesus didn't what he did for a specific religious denomination, he did it for everyone. The point about Lent, I always thought was to remember that sacrifice and make a small one of your own. Acutally, I wonder if the Reverend Crowley is around at the moment, would he be able to shed any light on this?

[Rev.Crowley]

Lent is observed by the Catholic Church, the Church of England and the Episcopal Church of Scotland. Beginning on Ash Wednesday (today), it lasts for the 40 days (except Sundays) up until Easter and represents the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness when he avoided temptation. Christians who wish to observe Lent give up something (e.g. smoking, alcohol or whatever they choose) for those 40 days as a sign of devotion to God or to repent for past sins. No-one is going to burn in Hell for breaking Lent, it is merely a test of one's own faith and one's own willpower, that's all. Non-Anglican and Non-Episcopal Protestant Churches (e.g. Church Of Scotland, Methodist, Baptist, etc.) do not observe Lent as they take the view that religious faith should be an all-year thing, not just 40 days a year.

[Cetti]

I can't really add that much to what froggequene has already said - Lent is the 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter, and commemorates the time Jesus fasted in the wilderness and the tempting by Satan - failed of course! Lent in itself is not biblical, but church - based, - the stricter C of E obseverve it, I know but I can't speak for the Catholic Church.

[froggequene]

Hi Reverend Crowley, nice to see you back, thanks for the information.

[xyzzyplugh]

Fasting? Eggs? Bunnies? - All stolen, by the church from Pagans. Even the word Easter; olde English, 'eastre'. It was a Pagan festival held at the vernal equinox in honour of Eostre the goddess of dawn, new life fertility Spring and renewal. She received eggs as an offering. Eggs(particulary coloured ones) as well as rabbits are a symbol of fertility and rebirth, and were both sacred to this Goddess. If you wish to know where the "Easter Bunny" comes from go here to read the legend of Eostre and the rabbit. http://bunnyhollow.org/bunnyeastermoon/bunnyeaster
moon.html

[Andromeda]

Heh - and remember that (well, at least "High Church") the Church of England IS catholic. Just not recognised by the Pope, When I was young and impresssionable I went to a Methodist Church and they had Lent, though it wasn't strictly enforced, and the church I went to certainly wasn't strictly Methodist.

Andy

[vittoria]

I am from Italy (Rome in fact) and I had never - ever - ever heard anyone say they were giving something up for Lent. If they did, they kept it for themselves. In fact the first time I ever heard of giving up something (e.g. chocolate, alcohol, etc) for Lent was when I moved to London.

[5029]

Lent actually finishes the sunday before good friday (ie when Jesus finished his fast and rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on a road lined with Palms - hence Palm sunday). However it is a commonly mistaken to end on easter sunday (how could it, when the fasting period ended the previous wee, with Jesus being dead in the 3 days coming up to Easter sunday - therefore he couldn't have been fasting). With regards to your other question, Protestants recognise Lent but have no obligation to give up anything, however many do (even non-Christians) as a matter of ritual