How long is Lent?

Answer 1

Dates for Lent

Lent 2010

• Lent 2010 begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2010.
• Lent 2010 ends on Good Friday, April 2, 2010.
• For Eastern Rite Catholics, Lent 2010 begins two days earlier, on Clean Monday, February 15, 2010.

In the Western rite Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and ends after 3 pm on Good Friday (excluding Sundays).

Lent begins every year on Ash Wednesday. It's the 40th day before Easter Sunday (not counting Sundays, because they aren't counted as part of the "season" in Lent).

In the Eastern (Orthodox) rite, Lent starts on Clean Monday (two days before Ash Wednesday) and finishes on the Friday before Palm Sunday. Sundays are counted, and Lazarus Saturday, Palm Sunday and Holy Week are a separate fasting period.

Actually, the dates for Lent are often commonly mistaken. Technically, according to the General Norms, "Lent runs from Ash Wednesday until the Mass of the Lord's Supper, exclusive" (General Norms 28). This means Lent ends at the beginning of the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday.

Lent in 2009 started on Wednesday, February 25th; it lasted 46 days, and ended on Saturday, April 11.

Answer 2

: Lent is a forty-day period of fasting and prayer before Easter. The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the desert, where according to The Bible he was tempted by Satan. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. We skip Sundays when we count the forty days, because Sundays commemorate the Resurrection. In the Roman Catholic Church, Lent officially ends at sundown on Holy Thursday, with the beginning of the mass of the Lord's Supper. :

Answer 3

Lent is a time when Jesus was in the desert for 40 days. Catholics observe this. It starts on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. People can give something up like candy or do something they would not normally do like pray the Rosary. On Fridays during Lent, people 14 and older make a sacrifice and do not eat meat, on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday people between 18 and 59 fast. They use the money they save not eating meat to give to the poor. For more details you can call a Catholic Priest.

Lent is defined as "the 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday until Easter observed by Christians as a season of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter." (Answers.com)

It is believed that Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert before beginning his public ministry, during which time he encountered temptation by Satan.

Christians during this period give up certain "sins" in their lives, symbolizing triumph over temptation similar to Jesus's triumphs over Satan's temptations.

Answer 4

Let is actually 46 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter. I don't think the Sundays are counted making it 40 days. The same as what Our Blessed Lord spent in the desert preparing for His ministry: forty days.
Forty days, not including Sundays!
The physical length of lent is 40 days. Which means you cannot eat meat at all during those 40 days until Easter Sunday.
There are 40 days in Lent, which do not include Sundays.
40 weekdays (from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday).

Technically, the days of Lent include Saturday but not Sunday. This makes it come out to the right number of weeks (for instance, this year Ash Wednesday was on March 9 and Holy Saturday is April 23, so that's six and a half weeks). Also, Easter Sunday does not count as Lent: Holy Saturday is the last day of Lent.

Answer 5

It depends on which branch of Christianity you mean. Here in the USA, lent began on Ash Wednesday, 22 Feb 2012 and will end Saturday, 07 Apr 2012 - the day before Easter.

In the RC Church, it ends 05 Apr 2012 which is Holy Thursday, just before the Mass of the Last Supper.

In Orthodox Churches, it begins on 'Clean Monday' instead of Ash Wednesday. It is referred to as the Great Lent. It ends before Holy Thursday (I believe).

Lent is not a Biblical Holy Day or Feast Day.

Answer 6

Lent is the Ecclesiastical season before Easter. It lasts from the day after Mardi Gras until Palm Sunday, some 47 days. (40 days excluding Sundays).

Answer 7

It begins on ash Wednesday and ends on Easter.

Answer 8

Lent is 40 Days, starting on Ash Wednesday, and ending on Holy Thursday afternoon, at which point Lent ends, and the Holy Triduum begins (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter.

Answer 9

March 17-April 4, 2010.