I’m not staying off completely, silly! I’m just limiting. I really don’t think I could stay away completely. But I can stay away for most of the day, and only check in once or twice instead of 100 times 
.
As for the better half of the brain, flymeister said that he gave it to his rcrd*r friend…I really hope she doesn’t RECORDERIZE it!!! 
My half-brain cannot comprehend this “check in once or twice”… what is this??
You said recorderize… shhhh… the CP!! ::looking furtively around::
Sure…but you can do that anytime. The whole point of Lent…the only reason it exists at all…is as a season of preparation for the Feast of the Resurrection. I would rather say that those people are USING Lent as an excuse for making life changes…doing something DURING Lent, rather than truly giving something up FOR Lent. It’s a positive thing, to be sure, but that’s not what Lent is about. Heck…a person could just as easily do that during Ramadan, if they need some established festival (and it would have about as much validity)
Redwolf
I’m Jewish, and we have Instant Lent aka Yom Kippur. We give up EVERYTHING, but only for one day… 
I just thought of something…I haven’t changed my avatar in 3 WHOLE DAYS!!! Maybe I’m subconsciously giving up avatar changing for lent…
This year I’m giving up sugar again. It was hard, but good for me, last year. My husband, who calls himself a “recovering Catholic,” still gives up alcohol during Lent. Partly in memory of his father, who did that, and partly to make sure he still can!
I can see what you mean about the purpose of giving something up now, Redwolf. Is Lent just a convenient time to do it, or is there really some focus on the season of Lent itself? Maybe for those of us who don’t have a real sense of the liturgical calendar at our current stage of faith, the simple observance of Lent in this way helps us move in a good direction. The discipline is, for me, a way to remind me that faith could be as much a part of my daily life as… food! Odd how that’s often not the case.
Jennie
I’m Lutheran, and we don’t “require” that you give up something for Lent. Some people do anyway, but I don’t really get the point. Shouldn’t you always be trying to do everything in moderation and to be giving up your really bad habits?
Yep…you guys have the whole process streamlined. You have a couple thousand more years of practice!
I actually explained Lent to the Jewish kids in my daughter’s class today in terms of Yom Kippur (as well as in terms of the 40 years the Israelites wandered in the desert, which is a major theme running through the Lenten season). Jo’s best buddy is Jewish, so they’re always exchanging “You do THAT??? We do THIS!!!” stories.
It always irritates me that the teachers celebrate “Mardi Gras” with the kids, but they don’t bother to tell them WHY it’s observed (or that it’s ever called anything other than “Mardi Gras”), or anything about the Lenten season it precedes, so they have no idea why their Christian classmates come to school on Ash Wednesday with ashes on their foreheads, or why the Catholic kids can’t have meat on Fridays in Lent.
Redwolf
Me too.
Many moons ago when I was a little boy,my Mother asked me what I was giving up for Lent."Going to Mass " was my reply…I took a good beating for that one I can tell ye.
Many of the Irish guys I know over here in England give up the Drink for Lent but break out for St. Paddys day and don’t seem to have any problem with it at all,at all.
'Twas a cruel deed to place our big day smack in the middle of Lent, eh? 
Slan,
D.
::putting on theologian hat::
you know, Dub, St. Paddy’s Day doesn’t count during Lent. It’s a Holy Day of Obligation, and therefore you have a dispensation
::taking off theologian hat::
Can somebody please explain to a non-Catholic in simple English what Lent is and why it’s important?
I don’t really think any holidays are important if we try to live each day as holy, but in practice it’s difficult not to accept Christmas cards, give kids Halloween candy, etc…
Lent is the 40 days (not including Sundays) before Easter in which Catholics do penance in preparation for the Easter season. The 40 days are symbolic of the 40 days that Christ spend in the desert fasting, and also the 40 years the Jews had to wander in the desert before they could enter into the Promised Land. By restraining the desires of the body (through fasting, abstaining from meat, denying yourself sleep, etc.), the spirit is liberated to embrace and become inflamed with the life of God. At this time of year it is especially appropriate because these little crosses that we voluntarily impose upon ourselves help us to appreciate the redemptive suffering and death that Christ suffered voluntarily on the cross.
I forgot to put my theologian hat back on, so I hope this made sense 
Good explanation! I just want to add that it’s not only Roman Catholics who observe Lent, but also Anglicans (that’s Episcopalians here in the U.S.), the Orthodox and the Coptics (who observe a very strict Lent, with no white flour, meat (including, in the latter part of the season, fowl and fish), sugar, oil, or dairy products) and I believe some Lutherans.
Redwolf
Just to add to that, there are observances we do as a body as well. For example, decorative hangings and such are generally removed from the nave or veiled during Lent. The colors of the vestments and altar dressings are changed from the green of Epiphany to Lent’s penitential purple. Many Anglican churches will switch from the more upbeat, modern, Rite II to the older, more solemn Rite I during this season…and even those that don’t switch will often add the Penitential Rite at the beginning of the Mass. And, most notably, the word “Alleluia” will not be heard again in church until the Great Vigil of Easter.
Many churches also observe this as a time for additional educational and worship opportunities. My old parish used to have “small group” studies on Wednesdays in Lent, preceded by a simple potluck soup supper and closed with the service of Compline.
The Catholic church we were with for a while last year also replaced the water in the holy water fonts with sand…a fitting symbol of our 40 days of symbolically wandering in the desert.
Redwolf
I’m giving up elephants.
Lent isn’t only about “giving up” things - you can also pledge to do more things - more time in prayer, more time in Bible study, or more time doing something you DON’T want to do (but know you should) just as much as you give up something you DO want to do.
I hadn’t really thought about what to give up for Lent until today. Last year I gave up chocolate, that is REALLY hard for me. I am going to read my Bible more, and read secular things (like romance novels) less -1/2 hour a day at the most. I read A LOT so that’s a huge sacrifice. Maybe I’ll play my whistle more if I’m not reading!
And Izzarina’s right, St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t count (it’s a day of dispensation).
Beth
I know it is difficult but I think we should all give up abstinence…
Cheers,
David
Back in the olden days (when I was but a wee lad), Lent was a time when adults could only have one meal a day. At that time, “meatless Friday” was a weekly occurence throughout the year. We were required to give up something that we really liked and also to do something that we disliked – both as a form of penance. Neither of these things could be harmful to the individual. For instance, giving up playing basketball was not a good idea because it was a good form of exercise. Giving up sweets, on the other hand, was often a big one. My doing something that I disliked usually involved rolling out of bed at 5:30 each morning to walk to 6:00 mass. Other people would eat vegetables that they disliked and things like that. Besides being a form of penance, these sacrifices were also looked at as being character builders.
Will O’Ban
sounds heavy.
The colors of the vestments and altar dressings are changed from the green of Epiphany to Lent’s penitential purple. Many Anglican churches will switch from the more upbeat, modern, Rite II to the older, more solemn Rite I during this season…and even those that don’t switch will often add the Penitential Rite at the beginning of the Mass. And, most notably, the word “Alleluia” will not be heard again in church until the Great Vigil of Easter.
Many churches also observe this as a time for additional educational and worship opportunities. My old parish used to have “small group” studies on Wednesdays in Lent, preceded by a simple potluck soup supper and closed with the service of Compline.
We do a lot of this at my church(Episcopal). Although we like to use Rite I most of the time so during Lent we generally will use Rite II, saving Rite I to come back on Easter. Just last week I was thinking that we would not be saying Alleluia again until Easter. But, I have taught the choir a new Kiyre(I know this is spelled wrong- I’ts late and my brain is just too tired)
We also do the potluck supper, and then work on music and follow up with compline. This is one reason I really look forward to Lent. This year we’ve got a very intresting line up of Wednesday musical work- studing plainsong chant, a guest organ and choirmaster from Roanoke who I’ve worked with before and he is amazing. He will be teaching chanting the psalms, and a bunch of other new musical stuff. I can’t wait. I guess I’ll be giving up TIME since I have to drive an hour to get to the sister church where all this will take place- my Wed. during Lent will be leaving home at 7:30 AM to go to work and getting home around 10 that night.