What is the season of Lent?

What is the season of Lent?

The Lenten season is a time of prayer and fasting for Christians that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. The purpose is for Christians to fast, pray and meditate, and to repent of sins in anticipation of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Traditional observances include:

-Ash Wednesday, where ashes are placed on the forehead as a reminder of individual mortality.

-Stations of the Cross, a devotional prayer with 14 parts or "stations" where Christians pray and meditate on the trial, torture and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

-The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, Catholics pray the sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary more frequently during Lent.

-Fasting, Catholics fast by refraining from eating meat on Fridays, and also fast on other days such as Ash Wednesday and during Holy Week. Fish is commonly substituted for meat. Some Catholics and Christians refrain from meals.

-Abstinence, Christians give up additional habits and things they like to remind them of Christ's sacrifice.

-Holy Week, the week before Easter when Catholics and many other Christians commemorate the events of the last week of Christ's life including Palm Sunday, the Last Supper (Holy Thursday), the Passion of Christ, the Crucifixion (Good Friday), and Holy Saturday (the day before Easter Sunday).

-The Sacrament of Reconciliation, Catholics will often attend confession where they discuss their sins with a priest and express genuine remorse and a desire to amend their behavior.

-Charity, Christians often perform additional acts of charity and piety to more closely live the Christian life.

Other facts about Lent:

The season of Lent is technically 40 days long, but the number of days between Ash Wednesday and Easter is 46. This is because Sundays are technically not part of Lent. Abstinence and fasting are not practiced on Sundays because each Sunday is a mini-Easter, a celebration of the resurrection of Christ.

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