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Lent is the period (or season) from
Ash Wednesday to
Holy Saturday (
forty days). In
Eastern Christianity, the period before Easter is known as
Great Lent to distinguish it from the Winter Lent, or
Advent (known in
Greek as the "Great Fast" and the "Nativity Fast", respectively). This article discusses Lent as understood and practiced in Western Christianity, except where noted.
Easter always falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25, roughly corresponding to the Northern Hemisphere's early spring. Ash Wednesday, which can fall anywhere between February 4 and March 10, occurs forty-six days before
Easter, but Lent is nevertheless considered forty days long, because Sundays in this period are not counted among the days of Lent. The traditional reason for this is that
fasting was considered inappropriate on Sunday, the day commemorating the
Resurrection of Jesus.
Formerly Lent was referred to by the
Latin term
quadragesima, or the "fortieth day" before Easter. This nomenclature is preserved in
Romance and
Celtic languages (for example,
Spanish cuaresma,
Portuguese quaresma,
French carême,
Italian quaresima,
Irish Carghas, and
Welsh C(a)rawys). The name "Lent" comes from the
Germanic root for spring (specifically
Old English lencten). Initially the word simply meant
spring, but later became associated with the fast. The name change occurred in the late
Middle Ages as Catholic sermons were spoken in
vernacular instead of
Latin. As such, use of this term to describe this period is unique to English.
Easter celebrates
the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, while Lent is a time of preparation for
Holy Week (or the Passion Week for Catholics worshiping in
the new rite of the Mass). Holy Week recalls the events preceding and during the
crucifixion, which occurred in
Jerusalem in the
Roman province
Judea, circa AD
29.
Origin
The forty day period is symbolic of the forty days spent by
Moses and
Elijah in the wilderness; during the days of
Noah God made it rain for forty days and forty nights (they were in the ark for much longer); the Jews wandered forty years traveling to the
Promised Land.
Jonah in his prophecy of judgment gave the city of
Nineveh forty days' grace in which to repent.
Jesus retreated into the wilderness and fasted for forty days of temptation to prepare for his ministry.
The Lenten period of forty days owes its origin to the Latin word
quadragesima, originally signifying forty hours. This referred to forty hours of complete fasting which preceded the
Easter celebration in the early The main ceremony was the baptizing of the initiates on
Easter Eve, and the fast was a preparation to receive this sacrament. Later, the period from Good Friday until
Easter Day was extended to six days, to correspond with the six weeks of training, necessary to instruct the converts who were to be baptized. English word
lent came from ancient Anglosaxon name of March -
lenct (since the main part of lent before Easter usually was in March).
A strict schedule was adhered to in the teaching of the converts. In
Jerusalem near the end of the fourth century, classes were held throughout seven weeks of Lent for three hours each day.
With the acceptance of
Christianity as the state religion of
Rome in the 4th century, its character was endangered by the great influx of new members. To combat the hazard, the Lenten fast and practices of self renunciation were required of all
Christians. The less zealous of the converts were thus brought more securely into the Christian fold.
Customs during the time of Lent
There are traditionally forty days in Lent which are marked by
fasting, both from foods and festivities, and by other acts of penance. The three traditional practices to be taken up with renewed vigor during Lent are prayer (justice towards God), fasting (justice towards self), and almsgiving (justice towards neighbor). Today, some people give up something they enjoy, and often give the time or money spent doing that thing to charitable purposes or organizations. Lent is a season of sorrowful reflection that is punctuated by breaks in the fast on Sundays (the day of the resurrection); thus, Sundays are not counted in the forty days of Lent. In the Roman Catholic Church, and many other liturgical Christian denominations,
Maundy Thursday (also called Holy Thursday, especially by Roman Catholics),
Good Friday, and
Holy Saturday form the
Easter Triduum. Because Lent is a season of grief that necessarily ends with a great celebration of Easter, it is known in Eastern Orthodox circles as the season of "Bright Sadness".
The Lent semi-fast may have originated for practical reasons: in old times food stored away in the previous
autumn was running out, or had to be used up before it went bad in store, and little or no new food crop was expected soon: compare the period in spring which
British gardeners call the "
hungry gap".
In the
Roman Catholic Mass as well as the Lutheran Divine Service and Anglican Eucharist, the
Gloria in Excelsis Deo is not sung during the Lenten season, disappearing on
Ash Wednesday and not returning until the moment of the
Resurrection during the
Easter Vigil. Likewise, the Alleluia is not sung during the Lenten season; it is replaced before the
Gospel reading by a Lenten acclamation. (On major feast days, the
Gloria in Excelsis Deo is recited, but this in no way diminishes the penitential character of the season; it simply reflects the joyful character of the Mass of the day in question. It is also used on Holy Thursday.) Traditionally, the Alleluia was omitted at Mass beginning at
Septuagesima, but since the
Second Vatican Council, it has become customary to retain it until
Ash Wednesday, although many traditionalists continue to practice the former custom.
Pre-Lenten festivals
thumb|250px|right|Lent personified at a 1559 painting "
The Battle between Carnival and Lent" by
Pieter Bruegel the Elder.">[Carnival celebration. Detail of
1559 painting "
The Battle between Carnival and Lent" by
Pieter Bruegel the Elder.]
Though originally of pre-Christian content, the traditional
carnival celebrations that precede Lent in many cultures have become associated with the season of fasting if only because they are a last opportunity for excess before Lent begins. The most famous of pre-Lenten carnivals in the
West is Shrove Tuesday or
Mardi Gras (trans. Fat Tuesday).
Fasting and abstinence
Fasting during Lent was more severe in ancient times than it is today.
Socrates Scholasticus reports that in some places, all animal products were strictly forbidden, while others will permit fish, others permit fish and birds, others prohibit
fruit and eggs, and still others eat only bread. In some places, believers abstained from food for an entire day, others took only one meal each day, while others abstained from all food until 3 o'clock. In most places, however, the practice was to abstain from eating until the evening and then a small meal without meat or alcohol was eaten.
During the early
Middle Ages,
meat,
eggs and
dairy products were generally proscribed. However, dispensations for dairy products were given, frequently for a donation, from which several churches are popularly believed to have been built, including the Butter Tower of the
Rouen Cathedral.
Giraldus Cambrensis in his
Iteneray of Archbishop Baldwin through Wales reports that "in
Germany and the arctic regions", "great and religious persons," classified the tail of
beavers as "fish" because of its resemblance to fish (lack of hair, smoothness, taste, color, and water habitat) and its abundance.
Today, in the West, the practice is considerably relaxed, though in the
Eastern Orthodox,
Oriental Orthodox and Catholic Oriental Churches abstinence from the above-mentioned food products is still commonly practiced, meaning only
vegetarian meals are consumed during this time in many Eastern countries. Lenten practices (as well as other
liturgical practices) are more common in
Protestant circles than they once were.
Current fasting practice in the Roman Catholic Church binds persons over the age of majority and younger than fifty-nine (Canon 1251). Pursuant to Canon 1253, days of fasting and abstinence are set by the national
Episcopal conference. On days of fasting, one eats only one full meal, but may eat two smaller meals as necessary to keep up strength. The two small meals together must sum to less than the one full meal. Parallel to the fasting laws are the laws of abstinence. These bind those over the age of eighteen. On days of abstinence, the Catholic must not eat meat or poultry. According to
Canon law, all Fridays of the year, Ash Wednesday and several other days are days of abstinence, though in most countries, the strict requirement of abstinence have been limited by the
bishops (in accordance with Canon 1253) to the Fridays of Lent and Ash Wednesday. On other abstinence days, the faithful are invited to perform some other act of penance.
If
St. Patrick's Day falls on a Friday, the prohibition against meat may be lifted for (or ignored by)
North American Catholics of Irish origin who wish to enjoy the traditional meal of
corned beef and
cabbage.
Fasting during Lent is a way for the Christian to identify with Jesus in his suffering which, according to the record in the
New Testament Biblical writings known as the
Gospels, he underwent for the sake of
humans in order to make propitiation for their failure to keep the laws instituted by
God in the
Pentateuch. This sacrifice is referred to by Christians variously as a substitutionary death, a redemptive death, and a death that satisfied the perfect justice of God, who actually provided the means for the satisfaction by sending Jesus, said in the
Bible to be God's own son, to die in place of humanity. It is this distinction that fulfills the Hebrews' hope for a
messiah (Christ, in
Greek) who would save the troubled nation, according to the New Testament writings.
Many modern
Protestants and
Anglicans consider the observation of Lent to be a choice, rather than an obligation. They may decide to give up a favorite food (e.g.
chocolate) or activity (e.g. going to the
movies) for Lent, or they may instead decide to take on a
Lenten discipline such as
devotions,
volunteering for
charity work, and so forth.
Liturgical
Holy Days
There are several holy days within the season of Lent.
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in western Christianity;
Clean Monday (Ash Monday) is the first day in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The fourth Sunday within Lent, which marks the halfway point between Ash Wednesday and Easter, is sometimes referred to as
Laetare Sunday, particularly by Roman Catholics. The Sunday following is also known as
Passion Sunday for
traditional Catholics, though the latter term is also applied to the sixth and last Sunday of Lent, or
Palm Sunday.
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of
Holy Week, the final week of Lent immediately preceding
Easter. Wednesday of
Holy Week is known as
Spy Wednesday to commemorate the days that Judas spied on Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane before betraying him. Thursday is known as
Maundy Thursday, and is a day Christians commemorate the "
Last Supper" shared by Jesus with his disciples.
Good Friday follows the next day, in which Christians remember Christ's crucifixion and burial.
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.
In the
Roman Catholic and
Anglican traditions, the altar linens and priest's garments are violet during the season of Lent. However, during the holy days the linens often change. See
Liturgical colours..
See also
*
Ash Wednesday*
Asceticism*
Clean Monday*
Cold Food Festival*
Quinquagesima*
Shrove Tuesday*
Ramadan*
Tisha B'Av*
Carnival*
Holy Thursday*
Good Friday*
EasterExternal links
*
http://www.armenianchurch.net/worship/lent/index.html Lent in the Armenian Orthodox Church tradition*
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09152a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: Lent*
http://imby.net/easter Lent: Prayer and Practice*
http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/TheSeasonOfLent.htm Liturgical Resources*
http://www.cresourcei.org/cylent.html The Season of Lent at the Christian Resource Institute
Reference
*
Catholic Encyclopedia, 1908: Lent. Historical development.
Category:Christian liturgy, rites, and worship servicesCategory:Liturgical CalendarCategory:Fastingals:Fastenzeitbe:Вялікі постca:Quaresmacs:Půstde:Fastenzeites:Cuaresmaeo:Karesmofr:Carêmeid:Pra-Paskahit:Quaresimahe:התעניתlb:Faaschtenzäitnl:Vastentijdja:四旬節no:Fastetidpl:Wielki Postpt:Quaresmaro:Păresimizh:大齋期
