What is Lent? How is it connected to Easter? Is it just an orthodox Christian observance? Or is it for everyone? This post answers all these questions and offers ways to incorporate the observance of Lent into your family.
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What is Lent?
The Lenten Season, usually just referred to as “Lent”, is the 40-day period between Ash Wednesday and what is often referred to as Holy Saturday – simply, the Saturday that comes the week before Easter. (Find out what Ash Wednesday is here.) Sundays are not counted in the 40 days. They are separate times of worship outside of Lent.
Christians, especially orthodox* and liturgical* worshipers (those are some nice, big words!), use the season of Lent as a time for focused prayer and fasting. For Christians, Easter is a joyful celebration of the resurrection of Christ, the basis for the Christian faith. They take the season before Easter to prepare themselves spiritually for this celebration.
*The terms orthodox and liturgical refer to worship practices and belief systems. They have been traditionally observed for many years and follow a set calendar for services, readings, and prayers.*
So Lent lasts 40 days (plus Sundays). It begins on Ash Wednesday – which is usually in February – and ends a week before Easter.
Why is it called “Lent”?
I’ve always been interested in the origins of words (called “etymology”) and how they have changed meaning and usage through time. So seeing the word in a calendar and hearing people talk about observing the season made me wonder why on earth a phrase having to do with religion and Easter sounded like borrowing money.
But, actually, the religious term has nothing to do with borrowing at all. It is a very old word, first recorded prior to the AD 900s. The original term meant lengthening. It referred to the lengthening of daylight hours in springtime. “Lent” comes from this word for “lengthening.” (See the definition I used at dictionary.com.)
The observance of Lent begins in February, the cold of winter. And it ends in springtime. The days throughout this time are gradually getting longer and longer. So Lent, the lengthening, is basically just describing what is going on in nature. Cool, huh?
Why forty days?
Every detail of Lent has a purpose and meaning. Even the fact that it lasts 40 days is meaningful. In the Bible, the number 40 has great significance. `
- In Genesis, God sent rain for 40 days and 40 nights (Genesis 7:4).
- Moses went up and communed with God on Mt. Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights (Exodus 24:18; 34:28).
- God punished the Israelites with 40 years of wandering in the desert (Numbers 32:13).
- Over and over in Judges, the “people had rest for forty years” (Judges 3:11; 5:31; 8:28).
- Elijah journeyed through the wilderness, fed only by God, for 40 days and 40 nights (1 Kings 19:7-8).
- Before beginning His ministry, even Jesus went into the desert to fast and pray for 40 days and 40 nights (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13).
The Lenten season lasts 40 days as a symbolic representation of Jesus’ time in the desert. Christians give 40 days before Easter to God as a way to show their devotion and grow in their faith.
How do we celebrate Lent?
For Christians, the weekend of Easter is all about the suffering and sacrifices Jesus made out of love for humanity. He endured much torture and false accusations, culminating in a criminal’s execution. The days leading up to Easter Sunday’s joyful celebrations of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead are dark, somber, and full of mourning.
The weeks of Lent are a time for Christians to give of themselves and make personal sacrifices as a means of identifying with the sufferings of Jesus and demonstrating their devotion to Him.
It is a time of focused prayer and fasting. Fasting is giving up something for the sake of prayer. Some people give up meals, a type of food like dessert or caffeine, or time in the form of volunteering to serve others (I have a post full of service project ideas for all age groups). As you feel the pang of hunger or the craving for sugar, you are reminded to pray.
Prayer includes expressions of thanksgiving and praise to God. Lent has a large focus on repentance for sin and simply communing with God. It is a time for Christians to feel a closeness to God and humbled by Jesus’ great love for them. The Lenten Season provides an opportunity for individual Christians to take a hard look at their lives and hearts and make sure they are in line with Christ’s teachings.
Lent and the family
Can you observe Lent within your own home with your own family? Absolutely! The Lenten Season is a great time to teach children how to pray, how to give of themselves, how to serve others, and how to love as Jesus loves.
With so much focus on candy, egg hunts, and gifts, Easter is – as it should be – an exciting day. But these things are not what Easter means for Christians. For Christians, Easter is about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. It’s about Jesus showing His power over sin and death. It is the very foundation of the Christian faith.
What a perfect time to teach children of Jesus: His life, and His teachings. Having a family focus on prayer, gratitude, and love is a great way to prepare for Easter and explain how important it is to the Christian faith to children.
What you can do
My family enjoys gathering together for Bible stories. The excitement of the coming holiday creates a desire to learn about it and listen to the reasons behind it.
We also do a big focus on Holy Week, the week between the end of Lent and Easter Sunday. I discuss with the kids the movements of Jesus and His disciples each day as we work toward His crucifixion and, ultimately, resurrection. They love to make crafts and fill their baskets with symbols and reminders. These activities extend the Easter celebrations much longer, build anticipation, and cement the stories of Jesus in the kids’ minds.
After teaching through Lent and Holy Week with my family for several years, I decided to write out the stories in devotion form to share with others. This book – called Resurrection Moments – is available here in the Chasing Those Moments Shop!
Resurrection Moments has kid-friendly devotions for Ash Wednesday, each Sunday in Lent, and every day of Holy Week. Each lesson is fully scripted and interactive with discussion questions built-in and takes about 5 minutes or so to read. Geared for kids ages 2-12, it is great for wiggly bodies and short attention spans. Older kids can read to the family or on their own. The fun, engaging lessons keep everyone interested and involved.
The book is also available in print and ebook form from Amazon.
I’d love to share my family’s Lenten, Holy Week, and Easter activities as well! The post Holy Week Activities has many, many Easter-focused activities for all age groups of kids.
Psst! I have an Advent/Christmas devotion and activities too! See the post The Jesse Tree for more about this awesome family experience. And check out the book Jesse Tree Moments here.
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