# What are you doing for Lent this year? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 5, 2014, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906 "2014-03-05T04:28:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906/21 "2014-03-06T22:43:04Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > Can I give up being “ok” with the 8AM mass-junkies trying to run my kid and I over in the parking lot as I try to walk him into school? > > When did the end of mass change to “Peace be with you. Peace be with you. Peace be with you. And now, Octogenarians… _Start Your Engines!!!_” The sign of peace isn’t near the end, so…never? 😛 But your comment reminds me of the pastor at the church I went to as a kid, who would bemoan folks looking all peaceful at Mass and then “trying beat their brother out of the parking lot”. Here, I get run over by the folks driving past the church to the high school down the street at 7:30. And it’s “my kid and me”. Maybe I should give up nitpicking for Lent? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906/22 "2014-03-07T05:07:24Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’ve never really seriously given anything up for Lent. But my mom and my friend both said they were giving up sweets, so I’m doing that. > > I had paczkis for dinner last night. It was not as fun as it sounds. My dad bought a dozen from a local bakery last week. They’re just about gone. Absolute heaven! I’m giving up peanut butter, since I absolutely adore anything with peanut butter. I’m also trying to eat less candy, because quite frankly, I eat too much of it already, and Lent’s a good time to break the habit. Speaking of meatless Fridays, am I the only one who think that some people aren’t really obeying the spirit of the law? I mean, the whole point is that it’s a fast. Isn’t it better to stay home and have leftover meatloaf rather than go out and have a lobster dinner? (Not gonna knock church fish fries, though. I LOVE the local fish fries!) ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906/23 "2014-03-07T11:10:05Z")
> [@Green\_Rosetta](#): > > I gave up the snooze button. This will be a rough one, as I usually set my alarm half an hour earlier than I need to be up so that I can smack the button. I try to give up things that will have an impact on my life year round, and from what I’ve heard/read, the snooze button is making me more sleep deprived. Last year I gave up Facebook, the year before that, alcohol. It’s going to be even worse next week, if you live in a place that practices Daylight Savings Time. We’ll be losing an hour. Ugh. Me? I’m giving up an iPad game that I’d grown addicted to. I’m talking hundreds of hours of lost productivity. I gave it up cold turkey. I’d joined Weight Watchers, then kind of fell off the wagon, so I’m back on the wagon. I’ve got to lose 20 pounds before my class reunion at the end of June. I also have committed to walking the dog every other day. Poor thing has been cooped up all winter long. We went on a long walk yesterday and he was as happy as a clam. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906/24 "2014-03-07T11:54:47Z")
I won’t drink coffee in the office during Lent. As in the last few years, when I get desperate there’s always the café two minutes’ walk away from the office. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906/25 "2014-03-07T12:35:43Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > The sign of peace isn’t near the end, so…never? 😛 But your comment reminds me of the pastor at the church I went to as a kid, who would bemoan folks looking all peaceful at Mass and then “trying beat their brother out of the parking lot”. > > Here, I get run over by the folks driving past the church to the high school down the street at 7:30. And it’s “my kid and me”. > > Maybe I should give up nitpicking for Lent? :smack: You have a point, but you raise another (and a good one). Parents & kids… we have to take them to school (especially when its this cold). Church… people attend church for faith & Congress can’t pass laws about religion, etc. So, Since school starts at 7:30-8, how do we subtlely hint to churches-next-to-schools that for public safety concerns, masses should not start before 9 (or should be let out no later than 7AM)? I can hear it now- “You’re infringing on my freedoms! If Og had wanted massive carnage and tragedy amid twisted Detroit Steel not to occur, He wouldn’t have made it so entertaining…!” ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906/26 "2014-03-07T20:54:48Z")
🙂 The best was when I jaywalked across to church (I know, my bad) and then slipped and fell trying to take a shortcut through the snowbank. There was a space cut in it (it’s a bus stop) but it was nicely iced over so I banged myself up pretty good. Luckily there wasn’t a real stream of cars passing by to laugh and point. :o ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906/27 "2014-03-07T21:57:33Z")
I’m giving up skiing, not that I ever skied. I’m not a Catholic, so I don’t do Lent. ---
**Author:** ![Doyle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doyle/32/439_2.png) [@Doyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doyle)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906/28 "2014-03-07T22:03:35Z")
Our priest asked us simply to be more caring and loving people. I suppose he’s thinks it might stick. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906/29 "2014-03-07T22:28:55Z")
I’m taking something on instead of giving up, although, like **Green Rosetta** , I guess I could look at it as giving up the snooze button. I want to get up at 5 a.m. I don’t have anything I’m planning on doing with the extra hour, but it’s a habit I want to cultivate. This morning, I did some yoga, and liked that a lot. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906/30 "2014-03-07T22:58:45Z")
_The girl that I was meant for, The girl my money’s spent for, The girl I gave up Lent for, Is the girl that Heaven meant for me!_ ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2014, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906/31 "2014-03-08T05:09:30Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > The sign of peace isn’t near the end, so…never? 😛 But your comment reminds me of the pastor at the church I went to as a kid, who would bemoan folks looking all peaceful at Mass and then “trying beat their brother out of the parking lot”. > > Here, I get run over by the folks driving past the church to the high school down the street at 7:30. And it’s “my kid and me”. > > Maybe I should give up nitpicking for Lent? :smack: My priest would joke about trying to beat the Baptists to brunch. I just found out my parish is starting up daily mass in the evenings. As best I can, I’m going to try to hit the 6:00 PM daily Mass. And 1/2 hour of prayer or spiritual reading each night. StG ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2014, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906/32 "2014-03-08T06:44:21Z")
I’m doing my normal thing and aiming to go to Mass every day. I got to a noon one today (Saturday) while I was in the city shopping. On weekdays I normally go to 5.30pm mass on the way home from work. But that’s going to be difficult next week because I have rehearsals and performances (Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky) every night. So I’ll have to go to early morning mass instead. And now that we’re into Autumn and it’s dark in the mornings, getting up early for that will definitely be more penitential. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2014, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906/33 "2014-03-08T07:34:22Z")
The same thing I do every Lent, RandMcNally - try to take over the world! ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2014, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906/34 "2014-03-08T07:40:06Z")
I always look forward to Holy Week specials on tv. I hope to see Victor Mature, Charlton Heston, Kirk Douglas, and Ted Nealy again. And then there’s the wife’s fisherman’s pie. It’s a bit hard to find scholarly studies of biblical events on tv. Hopefully these UFO-related theories are just a fad. Nat Geo is always my best bet for good research. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906/35 "2014-03-08T16:17:40Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > Can I give up being “ok” with the 8AM mass-junkies trying to run my kid and I over in the parking lot as I try to walk him into school? > > When did the end of mass change to “Peace be with you. Peace be with you. Peace be with you. And now, Octogenarians… _Start Your Engines!!!_” I’d talk to the priest. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906/36 "2014-03-09T19:54:28Z")
> [@Doyle](#): > > Our priest asked us simply to be more caring and loving people. I suppose he’s thinks it might stick. Where do they come up with these nutty ideas?! ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906/37 "2014-03-09T19:57:02Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > _The girl that I was meant for, > The girl my money’s spent for, > The girl I gave up Lent for, > Is the girl that Heaven meant for me!_ When this world began It was Heaven’s plan There should be a girl for ev’ry single man. To my great regret Someone has upset Heaven’s pretty progamme for we’ve never met. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906/38 "2014-03-09T20:11:59Z")
Gave up Facebook. Reading from an anthology called “Bread and Wine, readings for Lent and Easter”. Nouwen, Chesterton, L’Engle, Day, C.S.Lewis. It’s quite lovely. Other than that, I am hoping to make it to our weekly Adoration, but we’ll see. This thread reminds me of the famous-in-my-family time when I asked my daughter what I should give up for Lent and she replied, “how about irony?” To which I said, without thinking, “Oh, right, like God wants me to give up irony for Lent”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-this-year/682906.md?page=1)