Yesterday was Ash Wednesday and marked the first day of Lent in the Christian calendar. Lent is a time of penitence and fasting during the forty days from Ash Wednesday to Easter. Fasting means limiting food intake to modest amounts and eating no meat on Ash Wednesday and the seven following Fridays.
Many Christians choose to “give up” something for Lent. By giving up something that we enjoy, we are depriving ourselves of that pleasure, and in turn we are making a sacrifice to God. We can give up anything we enjoy from watching television, to going to sporting events, to eating our favorite foods. For the purposes of today’s post, I’m going to focus on the food aspect of Lenten sacrifice.
A friend once told me that when she told our priest that she was giving up bread for Lent, and was hoping she’d lose a few pounds in the process, our priest replied with something like, “I don’t think that’s exactly how you should be looking at it.”
It can be argued that something like bread, which for my friend was a major temptation, would be a very good thing to sacrifice even if a small part of her reasoning was selfish, quite the opposite of what we’re striving for during the Lenten season. Some other common foods given up, and my take on them, include…
1. Chocolate – Let’s face it, some people love their chocolate and denying themselves of this one delicacy for forty days would truly be a sacrifice. It might be easier for them to give up oxygen.
2. Wine/Alcohol – You know I love my cocktails, but wine? I probably wouldn’t even notice… If I were going this route, I’d have to include tequila and vodka to truly make it a sacrifice.
3. Bread – Bill and I have cut back on bread so much in recent years, that giving it up wouldn’t be much of a sacrifice – except for Wegman’s W bread still warm from the oven…
4. Sweets – Ahh, my downfall! I have, and always have had, a sweet tooth a mile long. I’ve never met a fresh baked cookie that I didn’t like. Cookies, ice cream, brownies – you, my friends, are going to have to wait forty days until we meet again!
Bonus: Instead of giving up something for Lent, one can choose to do a good deed each day. I’ve usually chosen this route; however, this year in addition to the good deed, I’m giving up sweets. It’s going to be a long forty days, and on Easter Sunday I’ll enjoy a cannoli, or two!
Photo courtesy of Bill
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Today I’m joining the DC Trifecta’s Friday Five Linkup with Courtney at Eat Pray Run DC, Cynthia at You Signed Up for What?!, and Mar at Mar on the Run! Please stop by these DC area bloggers’ blogs to say hello; and while you’re there, be sure to check out other bloggers who are also participating in the linkup.
- Questions:
- Do you give up anything for Lent? If so, what?
- What’s your biggest food temptation?
- Are you racing this weekend? ~ I’m running in the Run Your Heart Out 5K and the temperature at race time is forecasted to be around 15°, with a wind chill of 1°. 🙁
as you know, i’m a believer but I typically don’t give up anything for Lent. i focus instead on making sure i’m being really intentional with my devotionals and time with God. great post!
courtney @ eat pray run dc recently posted…Shopping for a Family of Two at Costco
That sounds like a perfect approach to Lent.
Goodluck in your race this wkend…..brrrrr. I’m glad I don’t have anything going on. I’ll be cuddling up on the couch and be watching movies all day. Suppose to be in the negative digits here in PA. I do not give up anything for lent. I thought about it but I’m not catholic and why give up something I enjoy….haha.
[email protected] recently posted…Here’s the scoop….
Thanks! I intentionally didn’t sign up for any races this winter because I hate waiting in the cold for the race to start, but then I won a free entry… Even with the windchill at 1° at the start, I’m sure I’ll have fun with my friends, though! 😎
I used to go to church all the time with my parents but I’ve fallen off that and you could say I’ve been a bad Catholic.. I would usually give up chocolate or ice cream with my sweet tooth. Good for you giving up sweets and doing a good deed each day!
Sherry recently posted…Five Things To Love About Sun Basket
I think it would be much harder to give up something as a child (I wasn’t raised Catholic, so I never had to give up anything because that wasn’t something my church did). It’s funny, I don’t remember what my sons gave up when they were little, and I’m sure they did because they went to Catholic school.
I don’t celebrate lent (is celebrate the right word? I am sorry, I don’t know the correct way to say it!), but if I did, it would be very hard for me to give up desserts and alcohol! Although I suppose giving up something that is difficult is the point, right? ::)
Yes, that’s exactly the point. 😉
I’ve never given anything up for Lent as it’s not part of my church’s culture, but I’ve always loved the idea of doing something special during that time. I’ll have to think about that idea some more (yes, I know I’m late.)
MCM Mama Runs recently posted…Five Wisconsin brands I always buy
I really do prefer the idea of good deeds and doing something special, but the last few years I’ve added giving up something. I didn’t grow up giving anything up for Lent (it wasn’t part of my church’s culture either), so that was new to me as an adult and marrying a Catholic.
We are Jewish so similar idea to our Yom Kippur but we only have to give it up for a day!
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner recently posted…Why Mother Runners make the best Valentines
We Catholics like to feel guilty about everything, so it takes us 40 days to repent. 😉
Being Jewish, we just have to give up all food for 24 hrs!
Sweets would be very hard for me, too. Very, very hard for 40 days! I’m pretty much with you on the rest of it.
I heard on the radio yesterday a good one — put one item from your house/closet into a trash bag each day during Lent and then donate at the end. That sounded like a good idea to me!
Thanks for sharing the idea you heard on the radio. I really like that one!
Bundle up this weekend!
I don’t give something up, but growing up I had a Catholic friend so in honor of her, I tried a few times. We gave up french fries once, a challenge for teenagers 🙂 but I am not sure I made it forty days. A good deed is a nice idea 🙂
Karen recently posted…Plantar Plate Injuries
French fries would be very hard for a teenager or college student to give up! I’ve always prefered the daily good deed path, but these days I try to do both.
I’m giving up alcohol for Lent and I’m looking forward to the sacrifice. I like the idea of doing a good deed as well.
Janelle @ Run With No Regrets recently posted…5 Guilt-Free Treats for Valentine’s Day
Good for you – sounds like your heart is in the right place.
Giving up wine and chocolate would be a huge sacrifice for me. I think about it but I can’t commit. Maybe I’ll keep doing good deeds.
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Food for the Runner’s Sole
There’s nothing wrong with that!
Doing something positive each day is a great idea !
I have no races this weekend, but very long run next weekend. So I am not giving up any food, but making sure to get in my good carbs. Else my energy will take a nose dive.
Hope you had a great race !
Karen – Fit in France recently posted…Weekly wrap : rain, kids & crepes
You definitely don’t want to cut back on necessary carbs during marathon training. And thanks, I had a great race!