History & Significance Of Lent, 40 Days Of Fasting Or Abstinence Christians Observe Before Easter

Lent is marked by fasting and abstinence, and during this time, many people give up something that they love, such as their favourite food or activity.

Lent concludes with the Holy Week, culminating on Easter Sunday.

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Before Easter, Christians across the world observe a 40-day period called Lent. It represents the 40 days in the Bible that Jesus had spent fasting and praying in the desert. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, and this year, it was on March 5. In some countries, the day before is celebrated as Shrove Tuesday. The Lenten period ends on  Holy Thursday, which will fall on April 17 this year. The last week of Lent is also known as Holy week.

Fasting Or Abstinence During Lent

Lent is marked by fasting and abstinence, and during this time, many people give up something that they love, such as their favourite food or activity. The fasting during this period is representative of fasting done by Jesus. It is also about repenting your sins in preparation for the Easter festival.

In the older times, fasting was observed very strictly. Usually, only one meal was allowed in a day and food items like meat and eggs were forbidden. This is still followed in Easter Orthodox churches. Forms of public penance in which the people were sprinkled with ash was also prevalent in medieval Europe.

In contemporary times, during Ash Wednesday a cross is drawn on a person’s forehead as a mark of the beginning of Lent and penance. Typically, the ash is created by burning special crosses made from palm leaves or wood, which were used in church services on the previous year's Palm Sunday. It may sometimes be mixed with sacred oil.

Easter

Lent concludes with the Holy Week, culminating on Easter Sunday. Easter marks the resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion and is a celebration of his life. Christians around the world observe this day with special services, gatherings with family and friends, and, in some cultures, the exchange of Easter eggs.

This year's Lent takes place as Pope Francis remains hospitalized at Rome's Gemelli Hospital after his condition became critical over the weekend. He was admitted on February 14 due to a respiratory illness.