When is Lent?
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter). It spans 40 days — not counting Sundays, which are considered "little Easters" and exempt from the Lenten fast. Including Sundays, the season runs 46 days. Because Easter's date moves each year, Lent's dates shift accordingly, always beginning in February or early March.
The 40 days deliberately mirror other significant biblical periods of 40: Moses on Sinai for 40 days, the Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years, and most directly, Jesus's 40-day fast and temptation in the desert (Matthew 4:1–11), which Lent is designed to imitate and participate in.
The three practices of Lent
The historic Lenten disciplines are drawn from Jesus's teaching in Matthew 6 — the same passage read on Ash Wednesday:
Fasting
Going without food (or some form of food) as a spiritual discipline. In Catholic practice, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fasting (one full meal and two smaller meals) and abstinence from meat. All Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence from meat for Catholics.
In broader Christian practice, "fasting" during Lent may take many forms: giving up a specific food or drink (the tradition of "giving something up for Lent"), abstaining from social media, or other sacrifices that create space for spiritual reflection. The point of fasting is not the sacrifice itself but what it makes possible — more time for prayer, heightened awareness of dependence on God, and a physical expression of spiritual longing.
Prayer
Lent is traditionally a season of intensified prayer — reading through the Psalms, adding daily prayer disciplines, attending additional services (the Stations of the Cross on Fridays, evening prayer, etc.), or engaging with devotional literature. Many Christians use Lent to begin a Bible reading plan or to restore prayer practices that have lapsed.
Almsgiving
Giving to those in need — the third pillar of traditional Lenten practice. Many churches organize special charitable campaigns during Lent. The money saved from fasting is often given to hunger relief organizations. The connection between personal sacrifice and generosity to others is an ancient and coherent spiritual logic.
The liturgical character of Lent
In liturgical churches, Lent has a distinctive visual and tonal character:
- Color: Purple or violet vestments replace the ordinary green, signaling penitence and solemnity
- The Gloria is omitted: In Catholic, Episcopal, and Lutheran services, the Gloria in Excelsis — the great hymn of praise — is absent from Lenten liturgy, making its return at the Easter Vigil (when it is sung for the first time in weeks) all the more joyful
- Alleluia is buried: Some traditions literally "bury" the Alleluia before Lent begins, not to be sung again until Easter
- Simplified sanctuary: Flowers, banners, and decorative elements are reduced or removed
- Additional services: Stations of the Cross (Friday evenings), midweek services, evening prayer
Do Protestants observe Lent?
Historically, many Protestant denominations rejected Lent as an unbiblical Catholic addition. The Reformers were suspicious of penitential practices that seemed to imply works-based merit or extra-biblical obligations. Today:
- Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopal, and many Presbyterian churches fully observe Lent as part of the liturgical calendar
- Non-denominational evangelical churches vary widely — a growing number have adopted some Lenten practices in recent decades as interest in liturgical spirituality has increased
- Baptist, Pentecostal, and many free evangelical churches traditionally do not observe Lent and may view it with suspicion
- Reformed and confessional Presbyterian churches generally do not follow the liturgical calendar
Individuals in non-liturgical churches often observe Lent personally — giving something up, adding a devotional practice — even if their congregation does not formally recognize the season.
Lent for people new to Christianity
Lent is not required for salvation — it is a spiritual practice, not a sacrament. For someone new to Christian faith or returning after time away, Lent can be a valuable structured entry point: it provides a defined season with specific practices, a community of people doing the same things at the same time, and a clear destination (Easter) that anchors the discipline in meaning.
The simplest Lenten practice for a beginner: give up one thing and add one thing. Give up something (social media, a daily luxury) that creates space. Add something (a daily Scripture reading, a period of silence and prayer) to fill it. Do this for 40 days and notice what changes.
Frequently asked questions
Why 40 days?
The number 40 is deeply embedded in biblical symbolism — Moses fasted 40 days on Sinai, the Israelites wandered 40 years in the desert, Elijah traveled 40 days to Horeb, and Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness. Forty represents a complete period of testing, formation, and preparation. Lent intentionally situates the Christian in this biblical pattern.
What should I give up for Lent?
Tradition and practicality are both your guides. The traditional Catholic Lenten discipline is abstinence from meat on Fridays and fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. More broadly, people give up anything whose absence creates a meaningful spiritual space: alcohol, social media, television, coffee, sweets, shopping. The best Lenten sacrifice is one that actually costs something — not an item you don't miss, but one whose absence makes you feel the discipline and turns your attention toward God.