About thirty-five years ago at this time, I gave up giving up things for Lent. It has worked very well.

LOL That sounds like something I'd to!
Actually, in the past I have. But then I usually feel guilty.

I didn't give up religion for Lent. That choice was made for me well before I was born. In HS, I tried to do it with friends...I think maybe I gave up caffeine? Or was it soda...Either way, I have mad respect for someone who can give up something they love for 40 days! There's no way I could give up caffeine now...not with my thesis due April 1! :eek:

I consider myself a fairly strict catholic. That meant no meat today AND fasting (bet some of ya'll forgot about that one - its actually one full meal and 2 snacks that don't equal a full meal). Mom and I held out on our "one meal" until dinner, where we overate because we were starving.

I don't give things up for lent. My theory is, that if its enough of a vice for me that I should give it up, it will make the world a much worse place. If I went no caffeine, I wouldn't be able to function. Same with sweets.

I just try to be an overall better pereson during Lent. Its much harder than a perfunctory abstention from something.

My theory on no meat is that Peter was a fisherman. Although, down here, its no big sacrifice to have to eat seafood on Fridays! :D

And, its not "cheating" on Sundays - the 40 days of Lent don't count Sundays.

I think I'm going to give up pop. This will be especially good since Spring Break is in less than 3 weeks....have to look good in my bikini in Panama City! My only worry is finals week. I don't know how I'm going to be able to make it.

i think i am one of the worst catholics....i do so much bad shit, and i even tell the bad catholic priest jokes...
anyway, i gave up ice cream for lent. i was going to give up mid-week drinking, but my spring break is before easter, and i am going to be so trashed that whole week...

I'm not Catholic but y'all don't have it bad here in Louisiana. All the "no meat on Fridays" means here are tons of crawfish boils and good seafood. Makes me kinda jealous!

You sound just like me. I've never given up anything for lent because if people expect you do it because everyone else does that I don't consider it much of a sacrifice. I am going to try and stop drinking caffeine again, but that is more of a migraine thing than anything else. I iddn't drink it for almost 3 years so I know i can do it now.

I haven't given anything up for lent in quite a few years. I'm a terrible Catholic, I know! I'm vegetarian so I don't have to worry about the not eating meat thing:)

Really?? I didnt know that! You are trying to say that I can eat fast food on Sunday? That is so good to know! That way when I am having my breakdown, I can just count down the days until Sunday. I dont think my parents know, and even if they will let that slide!


Funny story that happened yesterday after church in the parking lot.... okay so mass was beyond crowded yesterday and everyone was a little stressed out coming out because it was so full of people that is was starting to get really stuffy in there. Well there was an overload of people leaving the parking lot, and not to mention there was another mass starting in about 15 minutes. Well, we were in our van waiting to just leave our space because cars werent even moving. So the guy in front of us has a big space in front of him and wasnt moving up. So my dad opens the window and yells "come on man!":rolleyes: Of course he pisses the guy off and he tells my dad "where do you want me to go?", so then in return my dad says "well move up so other cars can also move up a little". The guy keeps talking and of course so does my dad. You could see the guy's wife is telling him to be quiet and so is my mom at this point. I was also furious!:mad: How can you do that at church of all places???? So after we get through the crowd and start heading home, i tell my dad "i cant believe you would do that, especially after coming from church!-- Do you really think he guy was going to listen to you and move up the way you were talking to him?!?!". Eventually my dad yelled at me and told me to be quiet. I didnt listen, because I made it a point to tell him what i wanted to even though i knew he was going to yell at me since he was already stressed/in a bad mood.

My dad has always been like that, no one will ever win besides him! Looking back at it, i think it is a funny story because this argument started over basically nothing, and then the nerve I had to actually tell my dad what I thought, knowing he was going to get even madder!:eek: oh, well ;)

I completely forgot about Lent. I have been in la-la land for the past few days. I am not Catholic but my stepfather is so I usually try to give up something. Last year I gave up drinking pop...and it worked for a really long time. I think this year I will try giving up pop again and I'm going to try to reduce the amount of swearing that I do. I drop the "F" bomb way too many times on a daily basis.

I'm giving up chocolate and bread, two of my favorite foods. My bf is giving up chocolate, too; he's more addicted to it than I am. :D

I don't want to give up soda. I'm not ready to go cold turkey. I don't eat fast food that much. I'm not having sex. I suppose I could give up cursing, but I hang around someone who always makes me forget. I suppose I could give up drinking, but then I think I'd be too tempted...which I guess is the whole point. Hmmm, what should I give up!?!?! :confused:

JuniorGirl~
My aunt told us that whole "it doesn't count on Sunday's" bit a long time ago...we told her she made it up as an excuse to eat her chocolate :p

I often try to take on something -- reading, a spiritual discipline or the like -- rather than just giving up something. This year, for a variety of reasons, however, Lent sort of snuck up on me. Still figuring.

Whatever her reason/motivation, your aunt was right. If you start counting yesterday and count to Holy Saturday, you only get 40 days if you omit Sundays. One of the early ecumenical councils (Nicea, maybe?) forbid fasting on Sunday, a decision that hasn't been changed in the centuries since. That's why Sundays technically are not counted in the 40 days of Lent.