Lenten sacrifice

The Lenten sacrifice refers to a pleasure or luxury that Christians (especially Anglicans, Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Moravians and the Reformed) give up for the liturgical season of Lent, which starts on Ash Wednesday annually.[3] The tradition of the Lenten sacrifice has its roots in Jesus fasting for forty days in the Judæn desert.[4] When Lent is over and Easter Sunday arrives, the faithful are able to indulge in what they sacrificed during the Lenten season.[4]

Many Christians choose to practice teetotalism during Lent, thus giving up alcoholic beverages during the liturgical season.[1][2]

Common Lenten sacrifices include giving up chocolate, soft drinks, and sweets.[4] Some Christians choose to practice temperance throughout the Lenten season, thus giving up alcoholic beverages;[5][6] in light of this, temperance drinks experience a surge of popularity during the Lenten season.[7] Others, on the first day of Lent, pledge to give up sinful behaviours, such as swearing, and hope to permanently rid themselves of these habits even after the arrival of Eastertide.[8] While making a Lenten sacrifice, it is customary for Christians to pray for strength to keep it; many often wish others for doing so as well, e.g. "May God bless your Lenten sacrifice."[9]

Many Christians sacrifice the eating of meat and commit to Christian vegetarianism for the entire Lenten season.[10][11] It is commonplace for Anglican, Methodist, and Roman Catholic Christians to observe the Friday Fast throughout Lent, which includes abstaining from meat on the Fridays of Lent.[12]

Christian clergy, both Roman Catholic and Methodist, have encouraged the faithful not to give up social media for Lent as they believe that Christians can use social media for evangelism.[13][14][15]

In addition to making their Lenten sacrifice, many Christians choose to add a Lenten spiritual discipline, such as reading a daily devotional or praying through a Lenten calendar, to draw themselves nearer to God.[16][17]

See also

References
  1. McCleskey, Clayton (24 March 2011). "Methodists Shun The Bottle During Alcohol-Free Lent". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  2. McDuff, Mallory (4 April 2013). "After Giving up Alcohol, I'm Addicted to Lent". Sojourners. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  3. Hines-Brigger, Susan. "Lent: More Than Just Giving Up Something". Franciscan Media. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  4. Mortimer, Caroline (10 February 2016). "The top 10 things most people will (try) to give up for Lent". The Independent. Retrieved 17 March 2019. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent - the festival where people give up a guilty pleasure for 40 days until Easter Sunday. Lent marks the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert.
  5. "Drink less this Lent". Pioneer Total Abstinence Association. 22 February 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  6. Gilbert, Kathy L. (21 February 2012). "Could you go alcohol-free for Lent?". United Methodist News Service. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  7. Hardy, Rebecca (11 February 2016). "Alcohol-free: why temperance drinks are making a comeback". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  8. Byrnes, Katie (19 April 2016). "I Gave Up Swearing For Lent". The Odyssey Online.
  9. "Prayer for Lenten Sacrifice". Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
  10. Freston, Kathy (5 September 2013). "God, Christianity and Meat". Huffington Post. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  11. "Veg for Lent". Christian Vegetarian Association. 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  12. Crowther, Jonathan (1815). A Portraiture of Methodism: Or, The History of the Wesleyan Methodists. T. Blanshard. pp. 251, 257.
  13. Olivia, John (18 February 2019). "Please Don't Give Up Social Media For Lent". Busted Halo. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  14. Smith, Jeremy (19 February 2015). "Would a Missionary Give Up Swahili for Lent?". UM Insight. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  15. Schiffer, Kathy (1 March 2017). "Giving Up Facebook for Lent? Please Reconsider…". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  16. Crumm, David. Our Lent, 2nd Edition. ISBN 1934879509.
  17. Ambrose, Gill; Craig-Wild, Peter; Craven, Diane; Moger, Peter (5 March 2007). Together for a Season. Church House Publishing. p. 34. ISBN 9780715140635.
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