Lent

So tomorrow is Ash Wednesday,  the first day of Lent.

What exactly is Lent?

Lent consists of 40 days of preparation before Easter. When I was young I learned that Lent represented the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert. Lent is celebrated by many Christian communities. It is a time of Fasting,  Prayer and Almsgiving. During the season of Lent people decide to give up certain things for example chocolate and alcohol.  People may also decide to attend daily mass as many churches put on extra masses during the Lenten season.  While others give up their time or some of their money to give to those in need.  Some people might even use the money they save by giving up sweets/ alcohol etc to give to charities. A thread that has developed over the last few years is that people give up Facebook for Lent. When people are giving up things it is generally a sacrifice and can be challenging to do. Some people will continue without the thing they have given up when Lent is over.

But if Ash Wednesday is tomorrow and it marks the beginning of Lent there are more than 40 days between Aah Wednesday and Eastee Sunday,  why is this? 

This very question puzzled me a few years ago and I went about figuring it out.  Yes, there are more than 40 days between Aah Wednesday and Easter Sunday.  However the Sunday's that are in that time are not included as Lenten days.  Also there are no Holy Day's in Lent.  So should a Holy day fall during Lent like St Partick's day has often done and does again this year it is not a Lenten day. We celebrate the end of Lent on Easter Sunday, however Lent officially ends on Holy Thursday, the beginning of the Easter Triduum of Holy Thursday,  Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Excluding Sundays and St Patrick's day I'm getting the last day of Lent as Easter Sunday. My sources tell me that since Vatican II the Catholic Church is not concerned about their being exactly 40 days in Lent,  Lent finishes on Holy Thursday but we are encouraged to continue fasting until the Easter vigil.

The week leading up to Easter Sunday is known as Holy week while the week after is called Easter week.