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More on Lent

Having just passed Ash Wednesday, we are now fully in the season of Lent. As a follow-up to my earlier post, I offer this information about the Lenten Season, borrowed from UMC and other internet sources.

Why do we celebrate Lent? This brings with it the big question of the why we bother with a liturgical calendar. The purpose of the liturgical calendar is to remind the church of the major dates and celebrations of the Christian church and events in Jesus' life, as celebrated down through history. These dates also serve to remind us of the events that are coming up, and help us to prepare ourselves spiritually to celebrate these dates.

Lent is one of the events on the liturgical calendar. It is always 40 days in length, and is measured by the western church by not counting Sundays (the day of Resurrection). Therefore, Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, always occurs on the seventh Wednesday before Easter.

According to Ken Collins, many countries, the last day before Lent (called Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Carnival, or Fasching) has become a last fling before the solemnity of Lent. For centuries, it was cusotmary to fast by abstaining from meat during Lent, which is why some people call the festival Carnival, which is Latin for farewell to meat.
By observing the 40 days of Lent, the individual Christian imitates Jesus' withdrawal into the wilderness for 40 days. Lent has been observed by the church since the Apostolic days.