Answer: Lent is the period before Easter devoted to fasting and abstaining in commemoration of Christ and his fasting in the Wilderness.
In Western Christianity, Lent is a yearly observance performed by many Christian denominations (typically, those in the Anglican, Calvinist, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, and Methodist traditions). It starts on Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting, and covers a period of roughly six weeks before Easter Sunday, though the actual length is a subject of disagreement for different faiths. Typically, it’s said to last 46 days, six of those days being Sundays.
When first observed in the fourth century, the focus of lent was to be self examination and self-denial in preparation for the Easter holiday. Today, the event’s purpose is to prepare believers through the acts of penance, repentance, prayer, almsgiving, self-denial, and atonement. During the six week period, many believers will fast or give up other luxuries or habits as a form of penitence. Traditionally, fasting was done throughout this period, but now it is common only to fast on the Fridays of Lent, Ash Wednesday, and Good Friday.
Though the practice is still predominantly religious, Lent is also commonly practiced by secular parties as a period to give up or cut down on bad habits.
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