Cross veiled during Passiontide in Lent (Pfarrkirche St. Martin in Tannheim, Baden Württemberg, Germany). Tannheim is a municipality in the district of Biberach, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states ( Bundesländer) of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. List of Christian denominations (or Denominations self-identified as Christian) ordered by historical and doctrinal relationships The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. ^[1] The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the desert, where, according to the Bible, he endured temptation by Satan. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin The temptation of Christ in Christianity, refers to the Temptation of Jesus by the Devil as detailed in each of the Synoptic Gospels Satan, ( Standard Hebrew Satan'el, English accuser) is a term that originates from the Abrahamic faiths, being traditionally ^[2] Different churches calculate the forty days differently.

The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer—through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial—for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Prayer is the act of attempting to communicate with a Deity or spirit Penance is repentance of Sins as well as the proper name of the Catholic and Orthodox Christian Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession Alms or almsgiving exists in a number of religions In general it involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue Ascetic redirects here You might also be looking for Acetic acid. Holy Week ( Latin: Hebdomada Sancta or Maior Hebdomada, "Greater Week" in Christianity is the last week before Easter. Within the body of Christian beliefs the resurrection of Jesus is a core event on which much of Christian doctrine and theology depend This article describes the Christian Passion For other meanings see Passion. Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. Within the body of Christian beliefs the resurrection of Jesus is a core event on which much of Christian doctrine and theology depend

In Western Christianity, but with the exception of the Archdiocese of Milan which follows the Ambrosian Rite, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes on Holy Saturday. Western Christianity is a term used to cover the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, the Churches of the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran Church This article is about the history and the current form of Ambrosian Rite for an explanation of the form of this Rite used before the Vatican-II see Traditional Ambrosian Rite In the Western Christian Calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays Holy Saturday ( Latin: Sabbatum Sanctum) is the day after Good Friday. ^{[3] [1]} The six Sundays in Lent are not counted among the forty days because each Sunday represents a "mini-Easter", a celebration of Jesus' victory over sin and death. Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. In the Jewish law it is the first day of the Hebrew calendar week Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. Sin is a term used mainly in a religious context to describe an act that violates a moral Rule, or the state of having committed such a violation Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific ^[2]

In those churches which follow the Byzantine tradition (e. The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite, is the liturgical rite used currently (in various languages g. Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics), the forty days of Lent are calculated differently: the fast begins on Clean Monday, Sundays are included in the count, and it ends on the Friday before Palm Sunday. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world This article refers to Eastern Churches in full communion with the Holy See Clean Monday ( Greek: Καθαρά Δευτέρα also known as Pure Monday, Ash Monday, Monday of Lent or (in Cyprus only Palm Sunday is a Christian Moveable feast which always falls on the Sunday before Easter. The days of Lazarus Saturday, Palm Sunday and Holy Week are considered a distinct period of fasting. Lazarus Saturday, in the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite, is the day before Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is a Christian Moveable feast which always falls on the Sunday before Easter. Holy Week ( Latin: Hebdomada Sancta or Maior Hebdomada, "Greater Week" in Christianity is the last week before Easter. For more detailed information about the Eastern Christian practice of Lent, see the article Great Lent. Families of churches Eastern Christians have a shared tradition but they became divided ( Schism) during the early centuries of Christianity in disputes about Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important Fasting season in the Church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians

Origins

The number forty has many Biblical references: the forty days Moses spent on Mount Sinai with God (Exodus 24:18); the forty days and nights Elijah spent walking to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8); God made it rain for forty days and forty nights in the days of Noah (Genesis 7:4); the Hebrew people wandered forty years traveling to the Promised Land (Numbers 14:33); Jonah in his prophecy of judgment gave the city of Nineveh forty days in which to repent (Jonah 3:4). Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ The Biblical Mount Sinai is an ambiguously located mountain at which the Hebrew Bible states that the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by The term "Godhead" The term Godhead is a term denoting deity or divinity Elijah or Elias ( was a Prophet in Israel in the 9th century BC Mount Horeb, Hebrew he חֹרֵב Greek in the Septuagint grc χωρηβ Latin in the Vulgate la Horeb, is the place Noah (or Noe, Noach;; Nūḥ; Arabic: نوح; "Rest") was according to the Bible, the tenth and last of The Promised Land ( הארץ המובטחת, translit: ha-Aretz ha-Muvtachat) is another name for the Land of Israel, the region which according According to the Hebrew Bible ( Tanakh / Old Testament) and Qur'an, Jonah (; Arabic: يونس, Yunus or In non-legal contexts a judgment is a balanced weighing up of evidence preparatory to making a decision Nineveh ( Akkadian: Ninua; Aramaic: ܢܝܢܘܐ Hebrew נינוה Nīnewē; Arabic نينوى Naīnuwa)

Jesus retreated into the desert, where he fasted for forty days, and was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-2, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-2). mainstream Christianity, the Devil is named Satan, sometimes Lucifer. Jesus overcame all three of Satan's temptations by citing scripture to the devil, at which point the devil left him, angels ministered to Jesus, and he began his ministry. A temptation is an act that looks appealing to an individual It is usually used to describe acts with negative connotations and as such tends to lead a person to Regret In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs Jesus further said that his disciples should fast "when the bridegroom shall be taken from them" (Matthew 9:15), a reference to his Passion. Since, presumably, the Apostles fasted as they mourned the death of Jesus, Christians have traditionally fasted during the annual commemoration of his burial.

It is the traditional belief that Jesus lay for 40 hours in the tomb^[4] which led to the forty hours of total fast that preceded the Easter celebration in the early Church^[5] (the biblical reference to 'three days in the tomb' is understood as spanning three days, from Friday afternoon to early Sunday morning, rather than three 24 hour periods of time). Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c One of the most important ceremonies at Easter was the baptism of the initiates on Easter Eve. In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted Holy Saturday ( Latin: Sabbatum Sanctum) is the day after Good Friday. The fast was initially undertaken by the catechumens to prepare them for the reception of this sacrament. In Ecclesiology, a catechumen (ˌkætəˈkjuːmən from Latin catechumenus, Greek κατηχουμενος, instructed is one receiving instruction A sacrament, as defined in Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion is "a Rite in which God is uniquely active Later, the period of fasting from Good Friday until Easter Day was extended to six days, to correspond with the six weeks of training, necessary to give the final instruction to those converts who were to be baptized. Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday preceding Easter Sunday ("Pascha" Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religious identity or a change from one religious identity to another

Converts to Christianity followed a strict catechumenate or period of instruction and discipline prior to baptism. In Ecclesiology, a catechumen (ˌkætəˈkjuːmən from Latin catechumenus, Greek κατηχουμενος, instructed is one receiving instruction In Jerusalem near the close of the fourth century, classes were held throughout Lent for three hours each day. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the With the legalization of Christianity (by the Edict of Milan) and its later imposition as the state religion of the Roman Empire, its character was endangered by the great influx of new members. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The Edict of Milan was a letter signed by emperors Constantine and Licinius, that proclaimed Religious toleration in the Roman Empire. A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial In response, the Lenten fast and practices of self-renunciation were required annually of all Christians, both to show solidarity with the catechumens, and for their own spiritual benefit. Ascetic redirects here You might also be looking for Acetic acid. The less zealous converts were thus brought more securely into the Christian fold.

Traditionally, on Easter Sunday, Roman Catholics may cease their fasting and start again whatever they gave up for lent, after they attend Mass on Easter Sunday. Other Western denominations have also followed this general principle to a greater or lesser degree.

Name

In the English language, Lent was formerly referred to by the Latin term quadragesima (translation of the original Greek tessarakoste, the "fortieth day" before Easter). Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly This nomenclature is preserved in Romance, Slavic and Celtic languages (for example, Spanish cuaresma, Portuguese quaresma, French carême, Italian quaresima, Croatian korizma, Irish Carghas, and Welsh C(a)rawys). The Romance languages (sometimes referred to as Romanic languages, or Neolatin languages) are a branch of the Indo-European language family comprising all The Slavic languages (also called Slavonic languages) a group of closely related Languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Croatian language ( hrvatski jezik) is a South Slavic language which is used primarily in Croatia, by Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina in neighbouring Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic

In the late Middle Ages, as sermons began to be given in the vernacular instead of Latin, the English word lent was adopted. A sermon is an oration by a Prophet or member of the Clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, or religious topic Vernacular refers to the Native language of a country or a locality English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States This word initially simply meant spring and derives from the Germanic root for long because in the spring the days visibly lengthen. The Germanic languages are a group of related languages that constitute a branch of the Indo-European (IE Language family.

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. Penance is repentance of Sins as well as the proper name of the Catholic and Orthodox Christian Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession The three traditional practices to be taken up with renewed vigour during Lent are prayer (justice towards God), fasting (justice towards self), and almsgiving (justice towards neighbour). Prayer is the act of attempting to communicate with a Deity or spirit JUSTICE is a Human rights and law reform organisation based in the United Kingdom. Alms or almsgiving exists in a number of religions In general it involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue Today, some people give up a vice of theirs, add something that will bring them closer to God, and often give the time or money spent doing that to charitable purposes or organizations. The definition of charitable organization, and of charity varies according to the country and in some instances the region of the country in which the charitable organization operates ^[6]

In many liturgical Christian denominations, Maundy Thursday (also called "Holy Thursday," especially by Roman Catholics), Good Friday, and Holy Saturday form the Easter Triduum. A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions List of Christian denominations (or Denominations self-identified as Christian) ordered by historical and doctrinal relationships In the Christian Liturgical calendar, Maundy Thursday (also known as Holy Thursday) is the feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday preceding Easter Sunday ("Pascha" Holy Saturday ( Latin: Sabbatum Sanctum) is the day after Good Friday. Easter Triduum, Holy Triduum, or Paschal Triduum is a term used by some Christian churches particularly the Roman Catholic Church, the 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 Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world " It is a season of sorrowful reflection which is punctuated by breaks in the fast on Sundays.

The Lenten semi-fast may have originated for practical reasons: during the era of subsistence agriculture in the West as 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"). Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficient farming in which farmers grow only enough food to feed the family and to pay taxes or feudal dues The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Hunger is a feeling experienced usually followed by a desire to Eat.

In the Roman Catholic Mass, 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. The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Divine Service is the term used in the Eastern Orthodox Church to describe the daily cycle of public services celebrated in the Temple (church building Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those " Gloria in excelsis Deo " ( Latin for "Glory to God in the highest" is the title and beginning of a hymn known also as the Greater Doxology The Easter Vigil, also called the Paschal Vigil or the Great Vigil of Easter, is a service held in many Christian churches as the first official celebration 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 Maundy Thursday. Likewise, the Alleluia is not sung during Lent; it is replaced before the Gospel reading by a seasonal acclamation. The Alleluia is chanted before the Gospel lesson in the Eucharistic Liturgies of the various Christian liturgical rites. This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament An acclamation, in its most common sense is a form of Election that does not use a Ballot.

Prior to 1970, the last two weeks of Lent were known as Passiontide, which began on Passion Sunday. Passiontide (in the Christian Liturgical year) is a name for the last two weeks of Lent, beginning on Passion Sunday and ending on Holy Saturday All statues (and in England paintings as well) in the church were veiled in purple. This was in accordance with the Passion Sunday Gospel (John 8:46-59) in which Jesus “hid himself” from the people. The veils were removed at the singing of the Gloria during the Easter Vigil. " Gloria in excelsis Deo " ( Latin for "Glory to God in the highest" is the title and beginning of a hymn known also as the Greater Doxology The Easter Vigil, also called the Paschal Vigil or the Great Vigil of Easter, is a service held in many Christian churches as the first official celebration Following Vatican II, and in the Reformed Kalendar of 1970, Passiontide was discontinued. The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twentieth century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. Passion Sunday is now the Fifth Sunday in Lent and religious images are no longer veiled. Traditionalist Catholics and Anglo-Catholics continue to observe Passiontide. Traditionalist Catholics are Roman Catholics, or people who identify as Roman Catholics who believe that there should be a restoration of many or all of the liturgical The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism (or sometimes possibly incorrectly High Church &mdashsee below describe people

Traditionally, the Alleluia was omitted at Mass beginning at Septuagesima, but in the Missal of Paul VI (1969) promulgated after the Second Vatican Council it is retained until Ash Wednesday. Septuagesima (in full Septuagesima Sunday) an observance dropped from the calendar as revised by the Second Vatican Council but still in use in the traditional calendars The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twentieth century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. The older practise is retained in the Missal of John XXIII (1962) which is attended by traditionalists. Traditionalist Catholics are Roman Catholics, or people who identify as Roman Catholics who believe that there should be a restoration of many or all of the liturgical

In the Byzantine rites, the Gloria (Great Doxology) continues to be used in its normal place in the Matins service, and the Alleluia appears all the more frequently, replacing "God is the Lord" at Matins. The Great Doxology is an ancient hymn of praise to the Trinity which is chanted or read daily in the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches

Pre-Lenten festivals

Main articles: Carnival, Mardi Gras, Fastnacht, and Maslenitsa

Lent personified at a Carnival celebration. Carnival is a festival season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February and March " Mardi Gras " ( French for Fat Tuesday) is the day before Ash Wednesday. Fastnacht or Fasnacht is the pre-Lenten Carnival in Alemannic folklore in Switzerland, southern Germany, Alsace Maslenitsa (Ма́сленица also known as Butter Week, Pancake week, or Cheesefare Week, is a Russian religious and folk holiday Carnival is a festival season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February and March Detail of 1559 painting "The Battle between Carnival and Lent" by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c 1525 &ndash September 9, 1569) was a Netherlandish Renaissance

Pile of straw with a fir tree and a "witch" doll attached to it, for the traditional "Funken" bonfire on the First Sunday of lent in Herdwangen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. See also Campfire. bonfire is a large controlled outdoor Fire. Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states ( Bundesländer) of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The "Funken" set ablaze.

Although originally of pagan content, the traditional carnival celebrations which 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. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world Carnival is a festival season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February and March The most famous of pre-Lenten carnivals in the West is Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings Shrove Tuesday is the term used in Ireland the United Kingdom Australia and Canada to refer to the day after Shrove Monday (or the more old fashioned Collop Monday " Mardi Gras " ( French for Fat Tuesday) is the day before Ash Wednesday.

Fasting and abstinence

Fasting during Lent was more severe in ancient times than today. Socrates Scholasticus reports that in some places, all animal products were strictly forbidden, while others will permit fish, others permit fish and fowl, others prohibit fruit and eggs, and still others eat only bread. Socrates of Constantinople was a Greek Christian church historian a contemporary of Sozomen and Theodoret, who used his work he was born at Constantinople 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, when a small meal without meat or alcohol was eaten.

During the early Middle Ages, meat, eggs and dairy products were generally proscribed. The Early Middle Ages is a period in the History of Europe following the fall of the Western Roman Empire spanning roughly five centuries from AD 500 Thomas Aquinas argued that "they afford greater pleasure as food [than fish], and greater nourishment to the human body, so that from their consumption there results a greater surplus available for seminal matter, which when abundant becomes a great incentive to lust. "^[7]

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. Rouen Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen is a Gothic Cathedral in Rouen, in northwestern France. In Spain, the bull of the Holy Crusade (renewed periodically after 1492) allowed the consumption of dairy products^[8] and eggs during Lent in exchange for a contribution to the war against Islam. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents

Giraldus Cambrensis in his Itinerary 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 superficial resemblance to a fish and their relative abundance. Gerald of Wales (c 1146 &ndash c 1223 also known as Gerallt Gymro in Welsh or Giraldus Cambrensis in Latin, Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Arctic is the Region around the Earth 's North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. Beavers are two primarily nocturnal semi-aquatic species of Rodent, one native to North America and one to Europe

Today, in the West, the practice is considerably relaxed, though in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic 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. Oriental Orthodoxy is the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three Ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the This article refers to Eastern Churches in full communion with the Holy See Lenten practices (as well as various other liturgical practices) are more common in Protestant circles than they once were. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. In the Roman Catholic Church it is tradition to abstain from meat from Ungulates (meaning roughly "being hooved" or "hooved animal") every Friday for the duration of Lent, although dairy products are still permitted. Ungulates (meaning roughly "being Hoofed quot or "hoofed animal" are several groups of Mammals most of which use the tips of their toes usually HoofRearHoovesjpg|thumb|200px|right|Rear hooves of a horse]] A hoof is the tip of a Toe of an Ungulate Mammal, strengthened by a thick horny ( On Ash Wednesday it is customary to fast for the day, with no meat, eating only one full meal, and if necessary, two small meals also. ^[9]

Current fasting practice in the Roman Catholic Church binds persons over the age of 18 and younger than fifty-nine (Canon 1252). Canon Law, the Ecclesiastical law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system with all the necessary elements courts lawyers judges a fully articulated Pursuant to Canon 1253, days of fasting and abstinence are set by the national Episcopal conference. Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging a desire or appetite for certain bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure In the Roman Catholic Church, an Episcopal Conference, Conference of Bishops, or National Conference of Bishops is an official assembly of all the On days of fasting, one eats only one full meal, but may eat two smaller meals as necessary to keep up one's 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 fourteen. On days of abstinence, the person 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 requirements of abstinence have been limited by the bishops (in accordance with Canon 1253) to the Fridays of Lent and Ash Wednesday. Canon Law, the Ecclesiastical law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system with all the necessary elements courts lawyers judges a fully articulated Episcopal polity is a form of church governance which is hierarchical in structure with the chief authority over a local Christian church resting in a Bishop (Greek On other abstinence days, the faithful are invited to perform some other act of penance.

Many modern Protestants consider the observation of Lent to be a choice, rather than an obligation. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. They may decide to give up a favorite food or drink (e. In historical writings when used in reference to a person favourite ( British English and the English of Commonwealth Countries or favorite ( American g. chocolate, alcohol) or activity (e. g. going to the movies, playing video games) for Lent, or they may instead decide to take on a Lenten discipline such as devotions, volunteering for charity work, and so forth. In Christianity, Bible study is the study of the Bible by ordinary people as a personal religious or spiritual practice. Volunteerism is the willingness of people to work on behalf of others without being motivated by financial gain The definition of charitable organization, and of charity varies according to the country and in some instances the region of the country in which the charitable organization operates Roman Catholics may also observe Lent in this way, in addition to the dietary restrictions outlined above, though observation is no longer mandatory under the threat of mortal sin. Mortal sin, according to the beliefs of Roman Catholicism, and some Protestant denominations is a Sin that unless confessed and absolved (or at least Many Christians who choose not to follow the dietary restrictions cite 1 Timothy 4:1-5 which warns of doctrines that "forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. The First Epistle to Timothy is one of three letters in New Testament of the Bible often grouped together as the Pastoral Epistles. "

When observing fasting or abstinence during Lent, regard must be paid to the fact that Sundays are Feast Days, so the fast or abstinence may be broken. The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when Advent (from the Latin word la ''adventus'' meaning "coming" is a season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the Christmastide (also Christmas or the Christmas season) is one of the seasons of the Liturgical year of most Christian churches Epiphany ( Greek for "to manifest" or "to show" is a Christian Feast day which celebrates the "shining forth" or revelation of Easter Triduum, Holy Triduum, or Paschal Triduum is a term used by some Christian churches particularly the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastertide, or the Easter Season, or Paschal Time, is the period of fifty days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday The general and most common understanding of the Christian Doctrine of Ascension holds that Jesus bodily ascended to Heaven in the presence Pentecost (πεντηκοστή, pentekostē, "the fiftieth day" is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian Liturgical year, celebrated the Ordinary Time is a season of the Christian (especially the Catholic) Liturgical calendar In the Christian Liturgical calendar, there are several different feasts known as Feasts of the Cross, all of which commemorate the cross used in the The Nativity Fast, is a period abstinence and penance practiced by the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches, in preparation For depictions in painting and sculpture see Nativity of Jesus in art. Epiphany ( Greek for "to manifest" or "to show" is a Christian Feast day which celebrates the "shining forth" or revelation of Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important Fasting season in the Church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. Pentecost (πεντηκοστή, pentekostē, "the fiftieth day" is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian Liturgical year, celebrated the The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Pascha (Easter is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event reported by the Synoptic Gospels in which Jesus is transfigured upon a mountain (,) The Dormition of the Theotokos ( Greek: Koimesis) is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and If one counts the days from Ash Wednesday to the day before Easter Sunday, excluding the Sundays, one will see that there are 40 of them, equating with the number of days Christ spent in the wilderness. In the Western Christian Calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays

Holy Days

There are several holy days within the season of Lent.

• Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in Western Christianity. In the Western Christian Calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays
• Clean Monday (or "Ash Monday") is the first day in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Clean Monday ( Greek: Καθαρά Δευτέρα also known as Pure Monday, Ash Monday, Monday of Lent or (in Cyprus only
• The fourth Lenten Sunday, which marks the halfway point between Ash Wednesday and Easter, is sometimes referred to as Laetare Sunday, particularly by Roman Catholics, and Mothering Sunday, which has become synonymous with Mother's Day in the United Kingdom. See also Gaudete Sunday See also Father's Day Homecoming Laetare Sunday (cf Gaudete Sunday) Lent Mother's Day is a day honoring Mothers celebrated on various days in many places around the world However, its origin is a sixteenth century celebration of the Mother Church. In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of five meanings The first Mission church in an area or a Pioneer
• The fifth Lenten Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday (however, that term is also applied to Palm Sunday) marks the beginning of Passiontide. Passion Sunday ( Dominica de Passione) is the name that was given to the fifth Sunday of Lent in pre-1960 General Roman Calendar Palm Sunday is a Christian Moveable feast which always falls on the Sunday before Easter. Passiontide (in the Christian Liturgical year) is a name for the last two weeks of Lent, beginning on Passion Sunday and ending on Holy Saturday
• The sixth Lenten Sunday, commonly called Palm Sunday, marks the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of Lent immediately preceding Easter. Palm Sunday is a Christian Moveable feast which always falls on the Sunday before Easter.
• Wednesday of Holy Week is known as Spy Wednesday to commemorate the days on which Judas spied on Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane before betraying him. In Christianity, Holy Wednesday (also called Spy Wednesday, and in the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches Holy and Great Wednesday Gethsemane ( Greek ΓεσΘημανι Gesthēmani ' Hebrew: גת שמנים, from Aramaic גת שמנא Gat Šmānê, lit
• Thursday is known as Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, and is a day Christians commemorate the Last Supper shared by Christ with his disciples. In the Christian Liturgical calendar, Maundy Thursday (also known as Holy Thursday) is the feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter In the Christian Gospels the Last Supper (also called the Lord's Supper or Mystical Supper) was the last meal Jesus shared with his In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry.
• Good Friday follows the next day, on which Christians remember His crucifixion and burial. Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday preceding Easter Sunday ("Pascha" Crucifixion (from Latin crucifixio, noun of process crucifixio, from perfect passive participle crucifixus, fixed to a cross from Burial, also called interment and inhumation, is the act of placing a person or object into the ground

In the Roman Catholic Church, Mass is a three day event called the Easter Triduum that begins with the opening song of the Holy Thursday celebration. The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Easter Triduum, Holy Triduum, or Paschal Triduum is a term used by some Christian churches particularly the Roman Catholic Church, the After the Holy Thursday celebration, the communion bread and wine is taken from the altar with no formal closing. Instead, the parish is invited to worship the holy Body of Christ. The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those The next day is the official commemoration of The Passion of Jesus Christ and is usually celebrated at 3 PM local time though some parishes usually change the time due to work schedules. This commemoration is part of the Triduum Mass which the opening is just a prayer followed by the day's readings. The service usually ends with a shortened communion involving only the Body of Christ and a post communion prayer before the service ends without dismissal. The Easter Vigil is the start of the end of the Triduum mass and usually starts with a fire service before the readings which explore the history of mankind. The Easter Vigil, also called the Paschal Vigil or the Great Vigil of Easter, is a service held in many Christian churches as the first official celebration The service also includes baptism and confirmation services which are usually celebrated after the homily. In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted Confirmation is a Rite of initiation in many Christian Churches normally in the form of Laying on of hands and/or Anointing for The Easter Vigil and Triduum Mass ends in the usual way with full communion.

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. It is custom for some churches to hold sunrise services which include open air celebrations in some places.

In the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican traditions, the altar linens and priest's vestments are violet during the season of Lent. An altar is any structure upon which Sacrifices or other offerings are made for religious purposes or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities As the name of a color violet (named after the flower violet) is used in two senses first referring to the color of Light at the short- Wavelength However, during the holy days the linens often change. Linens are fabric household goods such as Pillowcases and Towels Originally many such as Bed sheets and Tablecloths were made of Linen See Liturgical colours. Liturgical colours are those specific colours which are used for Vestments and hangings within the context of Christian Liturgy.

There are some Christian denominations that do not practice Lent and see it as an obscure tradition that the Church practices without Biblical merit. List of Christian denominations (or Denominations self-identified as Christian) ordered by historical and doctrinal relationships Church (disambiguation Christian Church and the word church are used to denote both a Christian association of people and a Place of worship Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin ^[10]

References

See also

• Asceticism
• Ash Wednesday
• Carnival
• Clean Monday
• Cold Food Festival
• Easter
• Fasting and abstinence in the Roman Catholic Church
• Fasting and abstinence of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
• Eastern Orthodox Church: Fasting
• Good Friday
• Maundy Thursday
• People's Sunday
• Quinquagesima
• Ramadan
• Shrove Tuesday
• Tisha B'Av
• Vassa

External links

• United Methodist Church: Lent and Easter
• Lent: Prayer and Practice
• Coptic Orthodox Lenten Resources
• Lent in the Armenian Orthodox Church tradition
• The Season of Lent at the Christian Resource Institute
• Online Lenten Devotional
• Liturgical Resources
• United Methodist Church: Lent and Easter Resources
• Lent and Fasting in the Ukrainian Church — a very good source to learn the differences between Lent in the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. Ascetic redirects here You might also be looking for Acetic acid. In the Western Christian Calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays Carnival is a festival season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February and March Clean Monday ( Greek: Καθαρά Δευτέρα also known as Pure Monday, Ash Monday, Monday of Lent or (in Cyprus only The Cold Food Festival is a Traditional Chinese holiday celebrated for three consecutive days starting the day before the Qingming Festival in the Chinese Calendar Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. For Roman Catholics, Fasting is the reduction of one's intake of food to one full meal a day The Copts the Christians of Egypt, who belong mostly to the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, observe Fasting The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday preceding Easter Sunday ("Pascha" In the Christian Liturgical calendar, Maundy Thursday (also known as Holy Thursday) is the feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter The People's Sunday celebrations are held on the first Sunday of Lent at Żabbar, Malta, popularly known as Ħadd in-Nies, are living recollections Quinquagesima is the name for the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. Ramadan or Ramazan ( Arabic: رمضان Ramaḍān) is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic Shrove Tuesday is the term used in Ireland the United Kingdom Australia and Canada to refer to the day after Shrove Monday (or the more old fashioned Collop Monday Tisha B'Av (תשעה באב or he ט׳ באב "the Ninth of Av," is an annual fast day in Judaism, named for the ninth day ( Tisha Vassa (from Pāli vasso, Sanskrit varṣaḥ, both "rain" พรรษา pansa or phansaa; ဝါဆိုး
• The Season of Lent in the Catholic Church