Lent how long does it go for

I still give up sweets for Lent every year, and sometimes alcohol or meat. I take it seriously. I look forward to it as much as I do the sun melting the snow. And when Easter Sunday comes April 5, the chocolate bunny I buy will taste better than it ought to. Lent is meant to be uncomfortable. Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment: to empower through understanding. Financial contributions from our readers are a critical part of supporting our resource-intensive work and help us keep our journalism free for all.

Please consider making a contribution to Vox today to help us keep our work free for all. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Lent, explained. Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email. A woman with a cross on her forehead for Ash Wednesday listens to Sen.

What is Lent? Lent technically lasts for 46 days. If Jesus fasted for 40 days, why is Lent 46 days long? Because each week, the fast is interrupted by a Sunday — six in all.

How are the dates for Lent calculated? What is Ash Wednesday? Next Up In Identities. Delivered Fridays. Thanks for signing up!

Check your inbox for a welcome email. Email required. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice and European users agree to the data transfer policy. For more on the rules of fasting, check out this article here. The Catholic church usually has those from ages 18 to 59 participate.

But if someone has a health condition that necessitates eating food every day, they do not have to participate. But typically people will give up something else in addition to the traditional rules of Lent. With the Sundays added in, it adds up to The 40 days symbolizes the 40 days which Jesus spent in the desert. Originally it was 40 days, per the request of the famous Council of Nicaea. But then in the sixth century, a pope named St.

Usually, because Sundays tend to have a more celebratory tone in the Lenten season think Palm Sunday. So that reduced the days of fasting to To make up the difference, to truly emulate Jesus and fasting for a literal 40 days, the calendar got changed. Hence the calendar we have now, where we kick off Lent with Ash Wednesday.

This settled right around the s and has continued since. Contact us Sign up for newsletters. Log In Register now My account. When does Lent end? How long the season lasts, the meaning behind it and why we give things up Lent begins this week with Ash Wednesday and ends six weeks later on Easter Sunday Lent is traditionally associated with fasting or giving something up Photo: Getty.

By George Martin. Pope Francis suggested the idea this past Sunday during his Angelus address:. What would happen if we treated the Bible as we treat our mobile phone? If we always carried it with us, or at least a small pocket Bible, what would happen? If we had the Word of God always in the heart, no temptation would be able to estrange us from God and no obstacle would be able to make us deviate from the path of goodness; we would be able to overcome the daily suggestions of evil that are in us and outside of us; we would be more capable of living a resurrected life according to the Spirit, receiving and loving our brothers, especially the weakest and neediest, and also our enemies.